The government has rolled out its ambitious TOP (Target Olympic Podium) Scheme, under which 2016 Olympics medal prospects will be funded for their specialised world class training and top-level competition, and offered ace discus thrower Seema Punia a budget of Rs 75 lakhs till the Rio Games next year.
The Indian government is set to revamp its Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), focusing on quarterly athlete evaluations and prioritising high medal-yielding sports like aquatics and cycling to improve performance at the Olympic Games.
Four Indian boxers have been promoted to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group following their impressive performances at the 2026 Asian Boxing Elite Championships, while three others have been inducted into the Development group.
Seventeen shooters, prominent among who is Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, are among 45 athletes selected by the government for financial assistance under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme.
The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group has been updated with the inclusion of rising stars like Samrat Rana and Gulveer Singh, while some established athletes have been dropped due to performance issues.
The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group has been updated, with rising stars like Samrat Rana and Gulveer Singh joining, while underperforming athletes such as H.S. Prannoy and Deepak Punia have been dropped.
Neeraj Chopra will head to the Olympic Training Centre in Switzerland from May 25, while shooter Manu Bhaker has jetted off to Italy after the Sports Ministry approved their foreign exposure proposals in view of this year's Commonwealth and Asian Games.
Yuki Bhambri and Sumit Nagal receive financial assistance to prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and Davis Cup, while Dhakshineswar Suresh joins the Target Asian Games Group.
Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil, supported by Neeraj Chopra, has filed a complaint with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) accusing coach Naval Singh of mental harassment and verbal abuse.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that India is preparing with full strength to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
TJ, Animesh Kujur enter TOPS developmental group; Pranati named for TAGG
Skeet shooters Maheshwari Chauhan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka, who narrowly missed out on a mixed team bronze at the Paris Olympic Games, return to action at the ISSF World Cup final and are eying a podium finish at the home event, starting in New Delhi on Sunday.
Former world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's proposal to train in Paris ahead of the Olympic Games was on Monday cleared by the government.
Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya said India is aiming to host the 2036 Olympics and finish in the top 10 in the medals tally.
Shooter Bhowneesh Mendiratta's proposal for financial assistance towards a week-long training camp with foreign coach Daniele Di Spigno has also been approved.
'Neither SAI nor state departments have a dedicated sports administration service. Instead, roles are filled by generalist civil servants or contractual staff, often lacking sector-specific expertise.'
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya presented the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award to badminton stars Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.
Tokyo Olympics bronze-winning boxer Lovlina Borgohain's allegations of "disrespectful and gender-discriminatory behaviour" against national federation's executive director Col Arun Malik are being investigated.
'We will leave no stone unturned'
Seasoned marksman Gagan Narang applauds the systematic selection process, government investment, and improved infrastructure for India's impressive haul of 15 shooting quota places for the Paris Olympics
Currently, the hockey players draw salaries from the departments and organisations that they are employed with even though a proposal to have a graded contract system by Hockey India has been in the deliberation stage for past few years.
The Mission Olympic Cell is also considering higher incentives for retired Olympians and world-class players who want to take up coaching, in an effort to retain top talent within India.
Outperforming the likes of Neeraj Chopra and Julian Weber in his debut World Championship is a nice feeling but India's new-found javelin throw talent Sachin Yadav says it cannot make up for the disappointment of "letting slip" an unlikely bronze after a strong start.
'Despite pandemic Govt is doing everything possible to support our athletes to make India proud'
As per the official procedure, athletes have to submit bills within 15 days of the completion of a training or competition for which advance has been disbursed.
The tournament, being hosted under the aegis of World Boxing, featured four boxers in the women's 75kg category -- Borgohain, Cindy Ngamba of the Refugee Boxing Team, Qian and England's Chantal Reid -- and held in a round robin format.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
'When I threw in the warm-up, I knew I would do well. I thought I would touch 67-68. But I got a gold medal at 66m.'
The Indian badminton team returned empty-handed from the Olympics for the first time in over a decade.
At 22, Manu Bhaker has already become one of India's greatest athletes by winning two medals in the same Olympics.
The 27-year-old, who has been constantly improving his timing, is optimistic about breaching the elusive mark.
Race walker Suraj Panwar gears up for debut within debut at Olympics
Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra is among only three track and field athletes retained in the sports ministry's revamped TOPS core group.
Chanu, who has a personal best of 88kg in snatch and 119kg in clean and jerk, is no stranger to injuries and has struggled with a persistent back problem.
Star Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra expressed astonishment that his rival from across the border Arshad Nadeem is struggling to get a new javelin, given his standing in the world of athletics.
Tokyo Olympics will be Chanu's second appearance on the big stage
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted about the classes on Tuesday while a Sports Authority of India (SAI) official explained the motive.
From feeling hopeless to Olympic medal three days later, the changing fortunes of shooter Sarabjot Singh
It's going to be a hell of journey, says Sindhu welcoming new coach Hafiz Hashim
Olympic gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra on Thursday requested all those who are part of the sports ecosystem to treat athletes like human beings and not medal-winning robots.
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