Winning an international tournament at 37 is no mean feat. But Indian table tennis star Sharath Kamal feels if one has the hunger and the motivation, age doesn’t matter. The world No. 38 won the Oman Open on Sunday, beating top seed Marcos Freitas. It was also Sharath’s first title in 10 years.

“A lot of people have asked me why I still continue after having achieved so much. But I tell them if you have the motivation you can do anything. Of course at 37, I have to work on my diet and fitness, but in the end what counts is the hunger in your belly,” Sharath, the nine-time national champion, told The Telegraph from Chennai on Monday.

“If you ask me, the reason why Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are able to raise the bar even now is they have the motivation,” he added.

Sharath revealed that he was not sure whether it would be a good decision to play in Muscat after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

“My family was not at all keen that I play there. They were worried because of the coronavirus threat and it was very justified. Even I was circumspect. But in the end it turned out to be a good decision. After all, I won a title after 10 years.”

Sharath won the Egypt Open in 2010 when he was 27. “I was not experienced then and the competition also was not that tough. In the last 10 years my game has improved.”

After the Oman Open, there is no table tennis worldwide as the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has suspended all activities till April 30 due to the virus attack. “It’s crazy times now. People are saying even the Tokyo Games may not happen in July-August. If you ask me, no table tennis for the next six weeks has thrown the entire qualification process into jeopardy. A clearer picture will emerge in the next few days. So at this point in time, we have no choice but to hope for the best.”

No table tennis for the next six weeks means Sharath will have to keep himself tournament-fit by “hard work at practice sessions and also a lot of exercise”. “It’s a very difficult job. Six weeks is a long time in an Olympic year,” he said.

India missed a golden chance to qualify for the Tokyo Games in the team event held in Gondomar, Portugal, in late January. Sharath felt that even though India failed, his form was impressive. “There wasn’t any dip in my form though. I am able to play well consistently,” he said.