Five minutes with Sharath: Playing India's top paddler weeks before his swansong

WITHIN the broad world of sports journalism, there exists a niche form of writing. Participatory journalism. It's when scribes duel with athletes — professionals with records under the belt — to get a first-hand look into what it's like to face some of the best in the world.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @Chennai

One of the most famous examples of this genre was published by George Plimpton after he faced off against Archie Moore, a boxing champ. Plimpton, who pitched to one of baseball's greatest hitters (Willie Mays) in a bid to understand his world better, was no stranger to facing some of the sport's finest. So the editor of the Paris Review fought against Moore. The latter, rather predictably, left the former with a bloody nose and some damage before the bell cut through the ring.

Table tennis isn't a combat sport but this hack is attempting to do something similar; face a pro. Not just any pro but India's No. 1 player, owner of multiple medals across events and decades and somebody who has been to five Olympics. A Sharath Kamal. Why? Since the turn of the millennium, this country has fallen in love with various cricketers, several shooters, couple of tennis stars, a plethora of badminton players and one long-haired javelin maverick.