Kamal146;s golden act winds up show

Even as the stars descended from Bollywood to perform at the closing ceremony...

Even as the stars descended from Bollywood to perform at the closing ceremony, one star shone brighter than the rest on the last day of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne today. Achanta Sarath Kamal won India8217;s last gold to justify the Indian Government8217;s decision to make table tennis a priority sport in the country.

The win against Australia8217;s William Henzell was, however, much tougher than expected, mainly because India8217;s number one paddler almost crumbled under the weight of his own expectations.

8220;I didn8217;t sleep well at night, didn8217;t feel right while practicing before the final and was as nervous as one can be. It was okay in the semi-finals, since I had nothing to lose against a much higher-ranked opponent, but I was the favourite in the final and hence felt the pressure,8221; he told the Indian Express from Melbourne, following his seven-game victory.

Kamal slipped after winning the first game, but managed to win the fourth and fifth to move 3-2 up. It was the sixth game that almost decided the fate of the final.

8220;At 7-7 and needing four points for the gold, the Singapore umpire faulted my service, God knows why. I completely lost it thereafter and conceded the game. At that point, I really thought it was over,8221; Kamal said. A similar feeling enveloped Kamal when, after leading 4-1 in the final game, he let the advantage slip, following a time-out by his opponent.

8220;It was then I realised that the crowd was becoming a big factor and so I decided to completely shut it out,8221; he said. That obviously helped as Sarath kept his nerve when it mattered to give India the second gold in the discipline.

An attacking player, Kamal8217;s game has become more rounded thanks to the improvement in his backhand. 8220;The previous coach Hubert Hustache really sharpened my backhand and I won some crucial points today from that flank,8221; he said.

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Kamal8217;s next target is to get India into the elite group of world table tennis in the forthcoming world championships and he expects the game to flourish in the country after this performance.

8220;The scenario is going to change after this. Already a priority sport, the profile of the game will rise like never before. This performance will also help us get more exposure trips. On a personal note, I hope to play more ITTF Pro-Tour events and train abroad,8221; he said, dedicating the gold to his countrymen.