Wrestler Reetika Hooda has been dropped from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) following a doping violation, while compound archers have received a major boost in the updated list of athletes supported by the Sports Ministry.
The revised TOPS directory, redrawn after the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle, reflects performances over the past year. The list had earlier been pruned from 179 to 94 athletes, but the core group has now increased to 118, including 57 able-bodied sportspersons and 61 para-athletes.
Hooda, an Asian Championships medallist who competed at the Paris Olympics, failed a dope test during a selection trial in July last year. She had been included in the TOPS core group released in February. “She has been dropped now,” a Sports Authority of India (SAI) source told PTI when asked about her status.
In contrast, World Para Athletics Championship gold medallist Simran has been retained in the core group despite her guide, Umar Saifi, failing a dope test in October. “We won’t take a knee jerk decision in her case. She is there and her case will come up in the next Mission Olympic Cell meeting,” the source said. Simran, born with a visual impairment, also won a bronze medal in the 200m at the Paris Paralympics.
Compound archery has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the update, especially after the discipline’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Eight compound archers, Parneet Kaur, Abhishek Verma, Jyoti Surekha, Aditi Gopichand Swami, Ojas Pravin Deotale, Priyansh, Prathmesh Samadhan Jawkar and Rishab Yadav, have been inducted into the core group, alongside recurve stars Deepika Kumari, Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat.
Also read: Confirm participation in ISL, AIFF asks clubs
In athletics, Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra continues in the core group despite a fitness-hit season. He is joined by Sachin Yadav, who finished fourth at the World Championships, ahead of Chopra’s eighth-place finish. Steeplechaser Avinash Sable, long jumper M Sreeshankar and high jumper Sarvesh Kushare have also been named, while para club thrower Ekta Bhyan has been included.
The core group remains without representation from tennis, golf and swimming.
The developmental group features sprinter Animesh Kujur, who holds national records in the 100m and 200m, and decathlete Tejaswin Shanker, an Asian Championships silver medallist. The men’s 4x400m relay team has also been added, along with table tennis players Manush Shah, Manav Thakkar and Diya Chitale.
Separately, the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG), aimed at preparations for this year’s Asian Games in Japan, includes golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Diksha Dagar, tennis players Sumit Nagal and Yuki Bhambri, equestrians Fouaad Mirza and Anush Agarwalla, fencer Bhavani Devi and gymnast Pranati Nayak.
TOPS athletes receive monthly out-of-pocket allowances and overseas training support, with the list reviewed every 12 months.
Follow us
