Commonwealth Games, table tennis: India's Sharath Kamal wins gold medal
India's Sharath Kamal won the gold medal after beating England's Liam Pitchford in the men's singles table tennis final at the 2022 Commonwealth Games (CWG). Sharath beat Pitchford 4-1 to claim his second CWG gold (singles). The latter overcame India's Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in the semi-finals, who later settled for the bronze medal. India have won their eighth medal in table tennis at CWG 2022.
Sharath, 40, claimed a 4-0 win over Australia's Fin Luu in the Round of 32 (men's singles). The Indian then defeated Olajide Omotayo of Nigeria 4-2 in the following round. In the quarter-final, Sathiyan overcame Yong Izaac Quek 4-0. The former then defeated Paul Drinkhall in the semi-final. Sharath scripted history after claiming a magnificent win over Pitchford in the final.
Sharath's win in the final gave the Indian table tennis contingent its eighth medal at the 2022 Games. India now have the most table tennis medals at the 2022 Games. Singapore and England follow the two teams with seven and four medals each.
Sharath adds a second gold medal (men's singles) at the Commonwealth Games. He claimed his first CWG gold at the 2006 Melbourne Games. In the ongoing edition, Sharath also clinched silver with compatriot Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (men's doubles event). The former won another gold in the men's event. Sharath now has a total of 13 CWG medals (seven gold, three silver, three bronze).
Like the Birmingham Games, India were the most successful nation in table tennis at the 2018 Games. They swept a total of eight medals, including three gold, two silver, and three bronze. Singapore and England followed suit, with six medals each. Manika Batra dazzled in women's singles, beating Singapore's Yu Mengyu. India also pocketed gold in the men's and women's team events.
