Paddler power

Sharat Kamal could spring a surprise, while Neha Aggarwal will be looking to gain valuable experience, says Taus Rizvi

The Indian table tennis challenge at the Beijing Games does not look as much promising as one would expect it to be. However, the top paddler - Achanta Sharat Kamal certainly has the ability to give some serious competition to their competitors in Beijing.

Neha Aggarwal will play the women's singles, but by her own admission she is in Beijing just for the experience. Her aim will be to win a medal at the 2012 Games.
Kamal, the 26-year-old from Tamil Nadu has had a decent run in the recent past.

"I know there will be no easy matches at the Olympics. But in the past I've shown that I can stand my ground against the top players," Sharath said. Having already represented India in the Athens 2004 Olympics, Kamal has experience under his belt.  Talking about how different Beijing will be from Barcelona, Kamal said: "I've become technically very sound and much quicker than what I was four years ago. Earlier, I pre-dominantly played from the forehand side, but now I'm equally efficient on the backhand side as well. Going by my form card, I believe that I can enter the pre-quarterfinals," he said.

Meanwhile, the women's challenge will only see Aggarwal as the lone competitor, but the youngster is not succumbing to the pressure and is quite realistic about her chances there. "Being a junior, I am considering the Games as a chance to gain experience. Qualifying in itself is a very big achievement itself," she said.

 “I can’t assure you of a medal but I am surely working hard and will put in my best efforts,” she added.