A city with strong cultural moorings: Sharath Kamal

“I like the way the people of Chennai have strong cultural moorings, the way people are grounded out here, defines Chennai as a city. Even though it is deemed a conservative place, the perception I feel has helped people establish a strong cultural identity,” says former Indian table tennis player Sharath Kamal.

“I like how the city has bonded in terms of different aspects of life: through music, culture, arts, and sports. Our involvement in all these aspects shape us all as the people of Chennai.”

“A lot of tradition still continues in a strong way in Chennai, for example the music festival during the winter months. This in a way defines the identity of the city and the people of the city.”

“The legacy that has been built by the generations before continue to be passed on to the next generation. Alongside, the sporting culture has also had pretty strong roots. Chennai always had a sizeable number of spectators showing up to watch different sports. Many are hardcore sports fans and keep themselves well aware across different disciplines and games. I get recognised in Chennai, which doesn’t happen in many other places. This is true for many other sportspersons as well.”

(As told to Saptarshi Bhattacharya)