Golfers Anirban Lahiri, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, Shubhankar Sharma and Tvesa Malik were among 10 athletes who have been recently included in the Sports Ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
While Anirban, Aditi and Diksha are in the core group, Shubhankar and Tvesa have been placed in the development group.
Must Read: Setting goals are not for Gaurav Pratap Singh
According to a statement issued by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), after these additions the total number of athletes under TOPS rose to 301, including 107 in the core group.
“The Ministry primarily supports elite athletes under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competition (ACTC) of each National Sports Federation. TOPS provides customised support to athletes in areas not covered under the ACTC and addresses unanticipated needs of the athletes as they prepare to excel in the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the statement read.
View this post on Instagram
Aditi, 23, caught the nation’s attention during the Tokyo Olympic Games after being in medal reckoning throughout the competition.
While, the 21-year-old Diksha, who hails from Jhajjar in Haryana and is a silver medallist in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics, finished 50th at the Olympic Games last year.
View this post on Instagram
Anirban is the only Indian golfer to feature in two Olympics — Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, and though his show was below-par, the PGA Tour player continues to be a trend setter for Indian golf.
Exclusive: Mind over body for summiteer Akshay Neranjen in PGTI Q-School
A regular on the rechristened European Tour, DP World Tour, Shubhankar made headlines by winning twice in quick succession in 2018, and since then has knocked on the door many times.
Tvesa had an outstanding season on the Ladies European Tour in 2021, finishing top-20 on the Order of Merit.
Agencies
