TOPS sanctions wrestler Vinesh Phogat and rowers' overseas training till first week of July

Tokyo Olympics-bound Vinesh Phogat will train in Budapest until June 9, travel for the Poland Open and return to Budapest to be based there till July 2.

Vinesh Phogat, who won gold at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games as well as the 2018 Asian Games, is among India's brightest medal prospects at the Tokyo Olympics.

The Sports Authority of India's (SAI) Mission Olympic Cell has sanctioned star India wrestler Vinesh Phogat overseas training till the Tokyo Olympics in July this year. The Mission Olympic Cell has approved her proposal to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), routed through the Wrestling Federation of India, to train in Hungary and Poland after she finishes her high-altitude stint in Bulgaria.

''Vinesh Phogat who secured India the 53kg class Olympic quota in September 2019 at the World Championships, will train in Budapest until June 9, travel for the Poland Open (June 9 to 13) and return to Budapest to be based there till July 2. Her coach Woller Akos, sparring partner Priyanka and physiotherapist Poornima Raman Ngomdir will be with her throughout. The cost of her proposal for training and competition is Rs. 20.21 lakhs. She has so far received financial support of Rs. 1.13 crore from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme,'' SAI said in a statement.

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Rowers Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh, who recently sealed their berth at the Tokyo Olympics, will train in Portugal in the lead up to the Games. ''A proposal from rowers Arjun Lal Jat who belongs to Rajasthan and Arvind Singh who belongs to Uttar Pradesh to train for five weeks from June 1 in Pocinho High Performance Centre in Portugal in preparation for the Olympic Games, has been approved by TOPS. The doubles scullers achieved Olympic qualification earlier this month in Tokyo. Their camp in Poland will cost around Rs. 21 lakh.

Rowers Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh were moved from the development group to the core group while wrestlers Seema Bisla and Sumit Malik, who earned quota places at the World Olympic qualifiers recently, have been added to the core group,'' the statement read.

Tennis doubles players Divij Sharan and Rohan Bopanna's participation in 14 and 11 tournaments respectively between January and June 2021 has been approved under TOPS, while Ankita Raina, who recently broke into the world top 100 in women’s doubles, has been added to th TOPS core group.

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Divij’s proposal cost approximately Rs. 30 lakh and he has received Rs. 80.59 lakhs in funding from TOPS in the present Olympics cycle. Bopanna’s proposal, including fee for coach Scott Davidoff and physio Gaurang Shukla, cost Rs. 27.61 lakh. He has already received Rs. 1.24 crore from TOPS through the current Olympic cycle.