From morning till bedtime – A day in the life of Tokyo Olympics-bound Achanta Sharath Kamal

A nine-time national champion with medals at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, Achanta Sharath Kamal has done it all. A Padma Shri-recipient, Achanta has represented India at the Olympics three times already and will be making fourth appearance at the event in Tokyo 2021.

Nothing came free of cost for the star Indian paddler. Picking up the racket at the age of four, Sharath Kamal became a professional after his 10th standard. He has been the flagbearer of Indian table tennis for the better part of the last 20 years.

We often say athletes lead luxurious lives. Given that we are only presented with the elite treatment they are dealt with and their big following on social media, the claim is a natural reaction on our part. But very few know about the actual struggles and day-to-day hustles that go in the background to yield such success and luxury.

Come July 2021, Sharath Kamal will be flying to Tokyo for the Olympic Games. He will also pair up with ace-paddler Manika Batra to represent the country in the mixed doubles event for the first time at the Olympics.

With the Tokyo Olympics around the corner, Sportskeeda dived into a day in the life of Achanta Sharath Kamal.

After the jog time for some prehab at @Sports_Dynamix. 💪🏼💪🏼 #TableTennis #Workout @Media_SAI @IndiaSports @WeAreTeamIndia pic.twitter.com/MCRtbm4VTv

— Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) April 1, 2021

How does a day in the life of Sharath Kamal look like?

Morning

5 AM – 6:30 AM: "My day starts at 5 o’clock in the morning. By 5.30 AM, I do some breathing exercises, visualization and prehabilitation exercises until 6 AM. I eat a fruit or dry fruits or a chapatti along with green tea or hot water with honey, ginger and leave for practice."

6:30 AM: "I start my training with a warm-up and activation (basically warm-up during practice) for around 30 minutes."

7 AM – 8:45 AM: "This is the time for Table Tennis practice. During practice I hydrate myself with electrolytes and BCAA."

8.45 AM – 9.10 AM: "This is a cooling down period."

A month long adventure comes to an end on high. 2 WTT events & 2 @Olympics qualifiers. Couldn’t have been happier to return with qualifications sealed in the singles as well as mixed doubles events. Thank you to everyone for the kind words and messages! More hardwork ahead! pic.twitter.com/7nofnnunbL

— Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) March 20, 2021

9:15 AM – 9:45 AM: "Time for some breakfast. I take some bread, eggs, peanut butter or overnight oats or get some idly sambar on my way to the gym. I also take some glutamine at this time."

10 AM – 11:30 AM: "During this time I workout in the gym. Post the gym session I take protein-shake.

I get back home by 12 noon and have my lunch. Then I rest for 45 minutes. The lunch is typically South Indian. It consists of rice with vegetables and sides. Non-veg foods are very occasional at home. Spending some quality time with my kids is a must during this break as they are home due to online classes."

Happy World Table Tennis day 🏓@ittfworld @ttfitweet @KirenRijiju @Media_SAI @IndiaSports @WeAreTeamIndia @IndianOlympians @kheloindia @FitIndiaOff @TNTTA_ pic.twitter.com/GFMNhlewMh

— Sharath Kamal OLY (@sharathkamal1) April 6, 2021

Evening

4 PM – 6PM: "I generally choose only one thing during the afternoon – either practice or gym. During this time I also take electrolytes. Post workout or training I get a homemade snack like a sandwich. Following that I get back home and spend time with family."

8 PM: "This is the dinner time for me. For dinner, I usually take chapatti and vegetables or salad with some source of protein."

10 PM: "At bedtime, I take either a glass of buttermilk or milk 30 minutes before going to bed."