Sports Snippets

JAMMU, March 24: Back and calf issues have forced defending champion Achanta Sharath Kamal to pull out of the men’s singles event of the 84th UTT Inter-State Senior National Table Tennis Championships beginning here on Saturday.The last-minute pullout because of the recurring back and calf spasms that Sharath has suffered in the past two months have dealt a blow to the organisers and the local spectators.But his absence would help former national champion G. Sathiyan’s cause as he eyes his second title.Sharath, a 10-time national champion, said he has to be cautious and continue the rehab programmes devised before the World Championships in Durban in May.“The Worlds in May last week is my focus, and I want to prepare well for the big event. Most importantly, I don’t want to aggravate the situation. I am going straight to rehab and concentrate just on the Durban Worlds,” he said in a release. (PTI)