India’s table tennis superstar Sharath Kamal will hang up his racket and the iconic bandana later this month, having stayed at the top of his game for more than 22 years and resisting the temptation of lasting another Olympic cycle at 42.

In his own words, life has come full circle for one of India’s finest athletes who will say goodbye to professional table tennis in front of his friends and family in Chennai, where the WTT (World Table Tennis) Star Contender and his swansong will be staged from March 25 to 30.

Sharath’s contribution to the game goes beyond the staggering numbers, including seven gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, two path-breaking bronze medals at the Asian Games and five appearances at the Summer Olympics.

Another Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are on the horizon but Sharath, who remains India’s highest ranked player at No. 42, has had enough.

“Not saying I am letting it go completely, but this is certainly the end for us on the big tables, in front of the big crowds. Time to give my bandana and racket some rest,” he wrote on X.

“...And so five Olympics later, 10 National Championships in hand, international medals and the honour of wearing the Indian jersey for so long — it’s tough to imagine what life will be like when I am not playing table tennis. But now I must reimagine it.

“Grateful beyond words for all the joy, for all the love, for all the pain, for all the lessons, and for all the people this sport has given me.”

For the better of the past two decades, Sharath inspired the younger generation to take up the sport before Manika Batra emerged to share that responsibility.

Sharath not only lifted the profile of the sport, he announced the arrival of Indian table tennis on the global stage and made his presence felt against the Chinese, including Japan and South Korea.

Some of Indian table tennis’ best results coincided with the twilight of Sharath’s career.

India stunned Japan for a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games.

Another unthinkable happened when he and Manika teamed up to land a historic mixed doubles bronze in Jakarta.