SAI clears proposals worth ₹57 lakh under TOPS

Sportspersons from five sports — athletics, table tennis, wrestling, para-athletics and shooting — will be the beneficiaries.

Jinson Johnson will undergo a year-long training programme in the U.S. The programme will be funded by TOPS.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has approved financial proposals worth ₹57 lakh for elite athletes of five sports — athletics, table tennis, wrestling, para-athletics and shooting — under its Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The decision was taken at a meeting of SAI’s Mission Olympic Cell, chaired by its director general Neelam Kapur, here on Monday.

In athletics, middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson, discus thrower Seema Punia and triple-jumper Arpinder Singh were the beneficiaries.

“The committee has approved a year-long training programme for middle-distance runner Jinson Johnson in USA under coach Scott Simons. The training will be till the Tokyo Olympics,” a SAI statement read.

“The committee also sanctioned the reimbursement of fees for discus thrower Seema Punia’s coach and fitness trainer for the support provided during the time of the Asian Games in 2018, along with the cost of medical treatment incurred by Punia, earlier this year. Purchase of recovery equipment for triple jumper Arpinder Singh was also sanctioned by the committee.”

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The committee also approved the participation of G. Sathiyan and Manika Batra in the ITTF Bulgarian Open, which is to be played from August 13 to August 18. Sathiyan’s proposal to bear his fitness trainer’s expenses for one week at the Czech Open was also cleared.

International training opportunity

In wrestling, the committee approved international training opportunities for Greco-Roman wrestler Sajan in Armenia and Belarus. It also approved his participation in two wrestling tournaments — in Belarus (July 26-28) and Georgia (August 6-18).

The committee sanctioned proposals related to coaching, equipment, and tournament participation made by shooters Anjum Moudgil, Mehuli Ghosh, Manu Bhaker, Deepak Kumar and Rahi Sarnobat.

The participation of para-javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary and Sumit Antil in an international competition on Paris (August 29-30) was also given the green signal. Sandeep and Sumit had proposed the purchase of sports kit and equipment be covered; that has also been agreed upon.