152 athletes received financial aid under TOPS for Rio Olympics preparation. (Source: Express Archive)
The consistent failure of track and field athletes at major international tournaments has resulted in all but two of them being ignored for financial assistance under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The committee has also left out tennis players, rowers and swimmers in its initial list as it attempts to weed out non-performers and make athletes who receive funds under this scheme more accountable.
As per the minutes of the third meeting of the TOPS athletes identification committee held last month, 45 athletes in nine sports have been shortlisted for support in the run- up to the 2020 Olympics and the next year’s Commonwealth and Asian Games. While the number is likely to increase, it is far less than the 150-plus athletes who received funds for the Rio Olympics last year.
A committee member said they will invite more applications, which will be thoroughly screened and the athletes will be made to commit their goals in writing to make them more accountable. “There is no specific number of athletes who will be given assistance under TOPS. But as the name says, this is for athletes who can win an Olympic medal,” a committee member said.
“In the first list, we have selected the known names. But now we will include the unknown ones, the players who have the potential and need support.” TOPS is just a part of funding the athletes receive. It is an initiative that was launched in 2015 to meet their direct requirements, which includes fees of personal coaches and other support staff, cost of travel and stay during competition and training stints, as well as purchase of equipment.
According to a statement by sports minister Vijay Goel in the Lok Sabha in July last year, 152 athletes received financial aid under TOPS for Rio Olympics preparation. The total amount spent was Rs 36.85 crore. However, the government was criticised for the poor implementation of the scheme while the athletes were pulled up for planning poorly to utilise the funds that were made available to them.
Consequently, the sports ministry re-constituted the committee in January to formulate protocols and select athletes for the forthcoming Olympic cycles. The new 10-member panel, headed by Abhinav Bindra and includes PT Usha and Prakash Padukone, among others. The committee met for the third time last month, where it submitted its first list.
“After deliberating the eligibility of the identified athletes and the recommendations of various stakeholders, including national observers, the committee selected a total number of 45 athletes under the TOP Scheme for assistance till Asian Games/Commonwealth Games, 2018 and Olympic Games 2020,” the minutes read, adding that the committee will conduct a performance review after the Asian Games.
Interestingly, the committee has included three squash players — Dipika Pallikal, Joshna Chinappa and Saurav Ghosal — even though it is not an Olympic sport. The trio will be given financial assistance till next year’s Asian Games. Fifteen-year-old double trap shooter Shapath Bhardwaj and promising rifle shooter Ravi Kumar are among the 15 shooters who have been included along with veterans Gagan Narang and Heena Sidhu. Youth world champion boxers (49kg) Sachin Siwach finds himself in the list even as Amit Panghal, who is in the squad for the ongoing senior world championships in the same category is not included.
The most glaring omission, however, is of the track and field athletes. Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and race-walker KT Irfan are the only two athletes who will be supported while Davinder Singh, the only Indian to reach final of his event at last month’s world championships, was ignored. It must be noted, however, that this list was finalised before Davinder’s performance in London.
For Rio Olympics, 45 track and field athletes were supported under TOPS. “The performance of track and field athletes at major tournaments has been poor throughout. So we will include them very judiciously this time,” a committee member said.
The committee has suggested that the latest performance of the athletes should be compared to the world standards and qualifying marks when they apply for funding under TOPS. They have also recommended that the athletes should submit their medical records twice a year to prove their fitness along with their targets and competitions they intend to participate in.
While acknowledging that this might end up being a tedious process for the athletes, the committee felt it was necessary to ensure accountability. “There is a general feeling that most of the athletes will not be able to submit so much of details which seem complex in nature,” the committee noted, according to the minutes.
“However, they need to be made to think, plan and commit in writing their goals and benchmarks and how they propose to achieve them. Once their thoughts and targets are well set, it would be far easier for them to achieve them.”
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