Asian Games 800m gold medallist Manjit Singh, who doesn’t have a regular job, has requested the sports ministry to include him in the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme to prepare for upcoming big events such as the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The TOP Scheme is one of the most ambitious projects in Indian sports in recent years.
It was put in place in 2015 to groom players for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
READ: How to make it really tops!
A post-Rio Olympics assessment showed, crores were invested, but India won only two medals — badminton star P.V. Sindhu's silver and wrestler Sakshi Malik's bronze.
READ: When money and performance didn’t go hand in hand
The process of inclusion in the TOP Scheme has changed since. Performance reviews and accountability are among the changes brought in.
Manjit isn't the only athlete hoping for inclusion in TOP Scheme
Here is a list of India's Asian Games medallists who were not included in the scheme (as on 18.07.2018), and would be hoping to get in to pursue sporting excellence without the added pressure of worrying about money.
