On Tuesday, when India defeated England in a thrilling match via the tie-breaker, national hockey coach Harendra Singh and star striker Tushar Khandekar were overwhelmed by the atmosphere and started weeping like young kids.

National anthem causes TT winner Kamal to break down

Yesterday, the atmosphere got the better of India's table tennis ace, Sharath Kamal. The moment India's national anthem was played during the medal ceremony, Kamal broke down and started weeping.

Under pressure
"There was a lot of pressure on him," eight-time national champion Kamlesh Mehta, who frequently accompanies the national team as coach, told MiD DAY yesterday.

"He lost his singles match earlier in the day and that also added to the pressure. But when the national anthem was being played, he must have got overwhelmed by the occasion," Mehta added.

Mehta was full of praise for the Indian paddlers' efforts. "Overall, it was an impressive performance.

"Obviously, winning gold in the doubles event was fantastic. But all this could not have happened without the support of the government. It has been a concentrated effort in the field of sports. They have provided the best to sportspersons and the athletes are delivering in return," Mehta said.u00a0u00a0

For his part, Kamal who is ranked 40th in the world, said: "My chest bloated with pride when the national anthem was played. This win is for the people who have supported us. Our coaches, family members, the Table Tennis Federation of India and its officials, they have all supported us so much. I am happy to give them the honour in return."

However, the lanky paddler admitted that he is not an emotional person. "But, after listening to the national anthem, I could not hold myself," he said.

Saha admitted that they were under pressure during the final, especially before a packed stand at the Yamuna Sports Complex here. "We were under a lot of pressure. But Sharath displayed exemplary strength, which helped us put behind our singles loss and gave it all in the final," he said.

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