Indian paddlers Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran settle for silver in Table Tennis men's doubles

The result of the final was a repeat of Commonwealth Games 2018 Gold medal match.

The Indian table tennis pair of Achanta Sharath Kamal & Sathiyan Gnanasekaran lost the gold medal match 3-2 to settle for silver in the men’s doubles event of the Commonwealth Games 2022. The duo contested against the home pair from England - Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford.

The five-game match went down to the wire. Sharath and Sathiyan won the first game 11-8. Paul and Liam came back in the second game to win it by the same margin. The third game, perhaps, was the turning point of the match.

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Sharath and Sathiyan were outplayed in the third game and lost by a massive margin of eight points: 3-11. They did turn it around in the fourth game, winning it 11-7 only to lose the deciding fifth game 4-11. The final scoreline of the gold medal match in the men’s doubles event between Paul Drinkhall and Liam Pitchford (ENG) and Achanta Sharath Kamal & Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (IND) read: 8-11, 11-8, 11-3, 7-11, 11-4.

The final at Birmingham 2022 was a repeat of the Gold Coast 2018 final. Back then, both these pairs faced off against each other too and the English pair won the CWG men’s doubles table tennis title by an identical margin of 3-2.

Ageless Achanta Sharath Kamal

Achanta Sharath Kamal is a name that needs no introduction. He has been in the international circuit since the 02/03 season. Even at the age of 40, he seems to be going strong. Birmingham 2022 is his fifth Commonwealth Games as he made his CWG debut in Melbourne, 2006.

With this silver, Sharath took his CWG medals tally from ten to eleven. He is in contention to add a minimum of one and a maximum of two - men’s singles and mixed doubles. Sharath is assured of silver medal in the mixed doubles as he has reached the final with his partner Sreeja Akula. Whereas in the singles event, he has qualified for the semifinals. 

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