The seasoned Achanta Sharath Kamal on Thursday (March 18) turned the primary Indian paddler to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games after a dominant win over Pakistan’s Muhammad Rameez on the Asian Olympic Qualification event in Doha.
The veteran Indian thrashed Rameez 11-4, 11-1, 11-5, 11-4 in little over 22 minutes within the second males’s singles round-robin match within the South Asia group. India’s second-highest-ranked feminine participant Sutirtha Mukherjee additionally certified for the Games after a 4-2 (7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 4-11, 11-5, 11-4) win towards her top-ranked Indian compatriot Manika Batra.
Despite her defeat towards Sutirtha, Manika can be set to make the lower due to her rating. Kamal had misplaced his opening match 9/11, 13-15, 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 9/11, 8-11 to compatriot Gnansekaran Sathiyan.
The win over Rameez ensured no less than a second-place end for Kamal and it was sufficient to safe a spot within the delayed Games, scheduled to start in July. One quota is awarded to the highest-ranked second-placed participant within the occasion. Sharath being the top-ranked participant within the group, secured the berth below the Asian quota.
It will probably be Kamal’s fourth look on the Olympic Games. “It was an excellent match towards Sathiyan however I made some errors and he capitalised on them to win the match. I used to be a bit nervous earlier than enjoying towards Rameez as I had by no means confronted him earlier than.
“But after the first few games I was confident that my strategy was working and I executed it well to maintain control,” the world quantity Sharath stated.
The 38-year-old Sharath stated contemplating the tumultuous 2020, it’s a giant aid. “Quite a lot of issues have occurred since March 2020. I turned the champion in Oman and was in good contact, was getting ready to play the qualification match in Thailand in simply two weeks and abruptly every little thing got here to a standstill.
“I have achieved the best rankings of my career and it’s a huge sigh of relief especially the way this year has been. Though this will be my fourth Olympics, it will be my best Olympic Games.”
Looking to safe double qualification, Sharath additionally cruised into the semi-finals within the combined doubles with Manika Batra after the pair defeated Mohammed Abdulwahhab and Maha Faramarzi of Qatar 11-6, 11-6, 11-2, 11-3 within the quarters. The star Indian pair, which acquired a bye within the first spherical, will now tackle Koen Pang Yew En and Ye Lin of Singapore within the last-four match on Friday.
While G Sathiyan topped the South Asia group with two wins in as many matches, Sharath Kamal ended because the top-ranked second-placed participant, handing him the sixth slot for Tokyo 2020. This will probably be a maiden Olympics for G Sathiyan, it will likely be a fourth one for veteran Sharath Kamal. G Sathiyan beat Muhammad Rameez in his closing match to prime the South Asia group and guide his place on the Tokyo Games.
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