Sreeja Akula, a rising star in table tennis, and Achanta Sharath Kamal won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Sreeja Akula stated playing with the legendary Indian paddler was a great experience and she never felt like she was playing with such a senior player.
While Akula’s tenacity in the singles competition astounded many, it was in the mixed doubles where she really shone alongside a renowned paddler. Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula of India defeated Javen Choong and Karen Lyne of Malaysia 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, and 11-6 to earn a 3-1 victory.
She narrowly lost out on the medal in the singles competition after losing the bronze medal match to Yangzi Liu of Australia in a gruelling struggle 11-3, 6-11, 2-11, 11-7, 13-15, 11-9, 7-11. The 24-year-old didn’t give up for the entire game and forced her opponent to fight hard for each and every point. The 24-year-old recovered in the mixed doubles competition to win the gold medal and make history.
