Latest news with #TargetOlympicPodiumScheme
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
BCCI may adopt Olympic disciplines in future
CHENNAI: In what could be a first, the Indian cricket (BCCI) board might start providing continuous support for shaping up Indian athletes across a spectrum of Olympic disciplines. This discussion apparently transpired during a meeting between the sports ministry and over 50 corporate houses on Thursday. The Indian cricket board (BCCI), represented by Rajeev Shukla, has shown an interest to join hands with the sports ministry to promote or adopt a couple Olympic disciplines. According to sports ministry sources, the BCCI is keen on providing whatever help they can extend. The help is likely to include monetary benefits to two or three Olympic disciplines. Earlier, the BCCI had given money to the National Sports Development Fund or to Olympics medalists but if this transpires, the world's richest cricket body might extend long-term support to Olympic disciplines. "The BCCI was keen and they are looking at ways to implement it," said an official. Project OTC in focus The meeting, chaired by sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya, discussed ways to establish state-of-the-art Olympic Training Centre for priority sports in the country. The idea is to bring all top (both Target Olympic Podium Scheme and other elite) athletes, coaches and budding athletes under one umbrella. The vision is to be inside the top-10 of the medals tally at the 2036 Olympic Games for which India have already started the bidding process. The age group under focus would be aligned to 2028–2036 Olympic cycles. The meeting was attended by minister of state (sports) Raksha Khadse, newly-appointed sports secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, joint secretary Shobhit Jain and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) TOPS, NS Johal. According to a presentation made during the meeting, the objective would be to have a tripartite agreement between the government (sports ministry or state government), National Sports Federations (NSFs) and the corporate houses. This would ensure a dedicated flow of funds, effective management, accountability and transparency. The sports ministry had been envisioning this project for a while and could see fruition soon because they are looking at upgrading existing centres, whether owned by centre, state or private parties, instead of creating one. The dedicated institutional structure would focus on sports excellence. This in turn would help in "improving capacity and effectiveness of NSFs" and also collaborate with states. If some states are running any programme, the support can go to the state as well. The sports ministry would provide policy support, infrastructure and public funding, while the corporate houses would fund and share managerial expertise. The governance and athlete management will be with the NSFs. Interestingly, the feeder line could be through Khelo India and National Games. The NSFs on the other hand would be helping in scouting and providing coaches. Apart from these, talent identification can be done through national and international competitions as well. Each centre should be able to hold at least 200 athletes and if need be, the number can go up to 300. OCI to represent India? The sports ministry had reportedly discussed the possibility of allowing Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) to represent India at global events. There have been requests from All India Football Federation (AIFF) to allow them to include OCIs in the India team. However, it needs to be seen if this can legally be implemented because of India's Citizenship Act that prohibits dual citizenship. Also, the sports ministry had notified that only Indian players with Indian passports are eligible to represent the country.
New Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Anshu urged to take part in selection trials for Mongolia Ranking Series
CHENNAI: Tokyo and Paris Olympian Anshu Malik has expressed her interest to compete in the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series scheduled in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from May 29 to June 1. Anshu informed the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) about her interest. Despite not meeting the eligibility criteria set for the aforementioned competition, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), in turn, has made an exception and urged the wrestler to earn her spot in the national team by taking part in the selection trials that's scheduled to be held at the IG Stadium, New Delhi, on Tuesday. As the 23-year-old — who is part of TOPS core group — hadn't taken part in the last selection trials which was held to pick the team for the Asian Championships, she is not eligible to take part in the Delhi trials, which will determine the participants for the third Ranking Series of the year. "She informed the TOPS but the chief coach of the women's team has urged her to book her spot in the national team by winning the 57kg selection trials," a source in the know of things told this daily. Anshu, a 2021 World Championships and 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, last represented India at the Paris Games in August 2024 where she lost to USA's Helen Louise Maroulis in the first round. Moreover, the upcoming trials will be held only in weight categories wherein the wrestlers didn't win medals in the continental championships. While the women's trials are in Delhi, the men's trials, both in Greco-Roman and freestyle, will be held in Lucknow on Monday. Indian men wrestlers had won five medals (two in GR and three in freestyle) at the Asian meet then. Similarly, the women wrestlers had returned with a haul of five medals at the event. Sunil Kumar (87kg) and Nitesh (97kg) had won a bronze each in GR while Udit (61kg silver), Deepak Punia (92kg silver) and Dinesh (125kg bronze) were the medallists in the freestyle. "Sunil is injured so now the trials will be held in nine weight categories in the GR. In the freestyle, trials will be organised in seven weight categories," added the source. Manisha clinched 62kg gold while Reetika returned with 76kg silver in the Asian event held in Amman, Jordan from March 25 to 20. Antim Panghal (53kg), Muskan (59kg) and Mansi Lather (68kg) had bagged a bronze each. "Apart from Anshu, Radhika has been allowed to compete in the 68kg as before the trials for the Asian Championships, she had submitted her medical certificate requesting to skip the competition. As Mansi is injured, she has been given permission." A total of 40 wrestlers (top 4 in each weight category) in every style have been camping at their respective centres after the Asian tournament. The WFI, along with Sports Authority of India (SAI), have chosen Lucknow for men wrestlers while the IG Stadium in New Delhi has been selected for the women's camp.
The Hindu
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
EXCLUSIVE — Anahat Singh Interview: Transition to senior circuit, Squash World Championships debut and LA 2028 Olympics dream
Anahat Singh caught the nation's attention in 2022 when she participated in the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as the youngest member of the Indian team. Since then, she has proved multiple times that she is a potential star in the making. The 17-year-old is now a two-time national champion and the country's top-ranked (World No. 62) female player in the sport. Under the guidance of a coaching team comprising Gregory Gaultier (Former World No. 1), Stephane Galifi (Former World No. 40), and mentor Saurav Ghosal (Former World No. 10), along with support from JSW Sports, the Delhi girl has made tremendous progress at the senior level. And there is more to come. Currently studying in Class 11, Anahat is part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (Development Group) and is arguably India's best medal hope when the sport makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. In an exclusive chat with Sportstar, she reflects on the transition from the junior level to the senior circuit, qualifying for her maiden World Championships (May 9-17 in Chicago), and the Olympic dream. You played at the Commonwealth Games at the age of 14 in 2022 and, the following year, won two bronze medals at the Asian Games. How did those experiences, so early in your career, shape your journey in the sport? Playing at such events is huge. Doing it at such a young age was possibly one of the best experiences and learning moments for me. By going there and spending time with seniors from all sports, not just squash, I understood what their daily routine is like. Winning two medals at the Asian Games at any age would be a big deal, but getting them so early in my career is something I'll never forget. At that point, I thought I was playing quite well — but two years later, if I watch that video, I feel I was playing terribly. I've improved a lot since then, and one of the biggest reasons would be because of those two events. In the last one and a half years, you began the transition from juniors to seniors. You played many PSA Challenger Tour events and did extremely well. What kind of changes did you make in terms of training, fitness, preparation and scheduling? Earlier, I was playing both junior and senior events. I'm still playing juniors, but not on the Indian circuit — mostly just international tournaments. It's given me more time to focus on what's important, rather than just travelling all the time, from tournament to tournament. It's not about playing events where I'm sure I would win and not really getting much practice. It's more about those that help improve my ranking, offer more practice, and experience as well. Also, in terms of training, I have clearer goals now. I'm not just training aimlessly — I have tournaments to look forward to. I know who I'm going to play, and it's going to be a big competition for me. The time I'm putting on court would honestly be a bit less because I've got school and travelling going on, but it's more focused. It's more about quality over quantity. I've started working in the gym a lot more. I wasn't doing anything earlier, but now, slowly, I'm getting into it. I'm still not used to it — I get very tired and complain a lot, but I realise that at the end of the day, it's beneficial for me. Also, I didn't have a constant coach when I was playing juniors until last year. Now, I have Grégory Gaultier, a former World No. 1, on board. I used to train with Stéphane Galifi before, but now, having both of them and Saurav (Ghosal) together is an amazing mix. They all have such great experiences, and I'm really grateful to have them together. Saurav plans the tournaments I play, especially on the PSA circuit, because the points system can be a bit confusing. Winning matches at the senior level also requires a lot of mental strength. Do you have a mental coach? No, I don't. Thankfully, I don't really get stressed out before matches. Especially, when playing seniors, there's no pressure for me. It's more for the seniors who are playing me. That's one good thing. That's how I'm performing better right now because when I step onto the court, I don't really feel any pressure. It's more when I'm playing juniors because there's a certain expectation. I'm gaining a lot of experience playing with all these players and when I go onto the court, it's not about winning, especially with people who are better than me or at the same level. It's about just playing my best and improving my game, no matter what the result is. There have been many occasions when as soon as your match is announced, you are inside the court warming up while your opponent is yet to be seen. I'm just a bit hyperactive. I like to do everything on time. Whenever I have my match, I always have a schedule - at what time do I reach the court, start warming up and hitting the ball. Sometimes, the match gets delayed. So, it messes with me a little bit but it is something that is a part of being an athlete and that's something I've always done even when I was under-11. If I still look at videos of me when I was a kid, I was always inside the court. I just like to do that to stay warmed up, focused and just play my best. Being the top-ranked Indian must have been one of your dreams. Did you expect it that you'll achieve this feat before even turning 18? I definitely did not expect it and I'm very happy about it. When I was growing up, I had gone to watch my sister play the senior nationals. She was a junior and had received a wild card. I saw Joshna (Chinappa) playing there. I have a picture with her as well. At that time, I was like, 'Oh my God, Joshna! I'm never gonna be at the place where she is!' Back then, I wasn't even playing squash properly. I was still in a mix of badminton and squash. Looking back, I wouldn't really have thought that I would be where I am right now. At that time, I also didn't really think that I would play squash professionally, let alone just reach this level and be in this situation at all. In 2024, you won nine titles on the PSA Challenger Tour and lost just one match. However, at the World Team Championships in December in Hong Kong, you had some really tough losses against Nele Coll (Belgium – Former World No. 4), Amanda Sobhy (USA – Current World No. 8), and Sarah-Jane Perry (England – World No. 23). What are your takeaways from that whole season? Before 2024, I was playing PSA but not properly. I played whenever I had the time or if it was combined with a junior tournament. The Olympics coming into the picture was a huge reason, but I also realised that if I wanted to improve my game, I had to play with people who are better than me rather than those I know I can beat. My dad made me play a few tournaments in India and I started winning the smaller ones. I travelled for a few outside India as well. At my first international PSA (ACE Challenger Tour 12k in Kuala Lumpur), I lost in the quarters (to Akanksha Salunkhe). After that, I was a bit sad because it was my first international tournament and I hadn't really done well. However, I then won a few more in India because we had some bigger tournaments here. My ranking went up, I broke into the Top 100 which took a lot of time, and I realised that I needed to start playing some of the bigger tournaments. The transition was hard at first — just going from playing with people you know you're going to beat and have been playing for years, to playing people like those you mentioned at the World Team Championships who've been at the top for so many years. At the World Team Champs, I played Nele Coll. I had a really close match (1–3) with her. It was on the first day of the tournament, and for the next week, I was so exhausted. That was a huge learning point. If I'm already so tired from just one match, there's a lot to work on. I wasn't really able to perform too well when I played with the other two girls, but after that, in the last few months, I've been working on staying consistent and being able to play at that level for a long period of time, rather than just playing one tough match and then being tired for the rest of the tournament. What was your mindset heading into the World Championship Qualifiers (Asia) in Kuala Lumpur last month? India's Veer Chotrani (left) and Anahat Singh (right), winners of the World Championships Asia Qualifiers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT The week before that tournament, I was in Prague, training with my coach, Gregory. I told him that I wasn't playing too well. I wasn't feeling good inside the court. He said it was fine. I was playing with some of the top players. When you're playing with someone so much better than you, you feel you're not playing really well, but he said it would all come together in the tournament. I was not very confident going into the tournament. I was expected to play Tanvi (Khanna) in the semis and Akanksha in the finals as per the draw, but they both ended up losing earlier. I had the whole situation planned out, but it turned out to be completely different. It did give me a bit more confidence because (rather than) playing someone you're facing constantly and are very competitive with, it's better to play someone else who's international and you've not really played against a lot. I was playing well in the first few matches. I won quite easily and the court also suited me. The final wasn't my best game. I was a bit stressed out because you know when you've reached so close to the finish line and you're like, 'Am I going to make it or not?' But I'm glad I was able to make it through. How do you prepare for your matches at the senior level? Does it involve data and video analysis? I talk to my coach either on the morning of my match or the night before, but I also like to watch my opponent's match by myself and see what I can do from my perspective. My coach explains her strong and weak points, but also, analysing yourself rather than someone else telling you is always better. So, the night before, I always like to watch my opponent's match. I might be playing differently that week compared to the week before. So, I don't really like to watch too much in advance. I don't do anything too fancy. Earlier, the Olympics wasn't in the picture but now, the sport will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. There is no guarantee whether it will feature in future editions. How did that change your approach towards the sport? They had been trying to get squash into the Olympics for the last few years but it wasn't happening. I think the timing couldn't have been more perfect for me. It's going to be when I am 20 and hopefully, at that time, I'm at my peak. The Olympics is the main aim for every athlete. The training has changed completely. We don't really know what the selection criteria is yet because there's still quite some time left. We'll only know next year or in 2027, but it's probably going to be based on the rankings. Just to be safe, the top 20 should qualify and I'm 60 right now. I have a lot of work left to do. READ | Squash's Olympic dream: Indian players eye glory in Los Angeles 2028 It's also the main reason why I shifted from juniors to seniors because juniors isn't the aim in the long run — the Olympics is. The only way that's going to happen is if I'm top 20 in the world. Just playing these tournaments helps my ranking and helps me understand where my level is right now compared to all the seniors, and where I need to work so that I'm able to compete with them and get a medal as well in the next three years. How have the tournaments at home helped you in your journey? Anahat (right) won the JSW Indian Open, a PSA World Tour (Copper Level) event, her biggest title so far in March this year. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT In March, there were two events — SRFI Indian Tour, Chennai, and JSW Indian Open, Mumbai. I was ranked around 80 prior to those tournaments and because I won both, I reached 60. I had my exams that ended a week before those two tournaments. If I had to play something internationally, it would have been really difficult and I would have still been stuck at 80. Being in India made it so much easier to board a flight, travel and play a tournament where I'm familiar with the crowd. It's a huge advantage playing in your home country rather than somewhere outside because of all the travel and the jet lag. It all pays off in the performance as well. Those two tournaments were really important for me. I wouldn't have qualified for the World Championship if I hadn't won those two. I wouldn't have gone to play in the qualifiers either. What are the major events for you for the rest of the season? I have the World Championship right now and then I have the British Open qualifying (May 27-29), which is the biggest tournament after the World Championship. If I do qualify, the main draw starts just two days later. Then I'm playing the Asian Doubles Championships (June 23-27) in Malaysia, the Asian Junior Championships (July 1-5 in Korea), and the World Junior Championships (July 21-August 1 in Egypt) as well over the summer. RAPID FIRE Which app do you use the most on your phone? Snapchat Which movie did you watch recently? Anyone But You One favourite dish that you can sacrifice for the rest of your life in exchange for an Olympic medal? Sushi One squash player whose style you really like or want to emulate? World No. 3 Hania El Hammamy (Egypt) If not a squash player, which profession would you have picked for yourself? Badminton Which song is always there on your practice playlist? Hall of Fame by The Script
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Women's wrestling camp shifted to IG Stadium in Delhi
New Delhi: After a gap of more than two years the national wrestling coaching camps started on Thursday, with the women's camp being organised at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex here. The men's Freestyle and Greco Roman national camps are being held at the SAI NCOE centre in Lucknow. The national camps had not been organised since top wrestlers took to streets protesting against the then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. WFI, subsequently, faced a long suspension, even though fresh elections were held in December 2023. The suspension by the Sports Ministry was finally revoked in March this year. The WFI had earlier proposed to hold the women's camp in SAI Gandhinagar, and the men's camp at Army Sports Institute, Pune. However, that could not happen due to various reasons. SAI has provided sanction for a 61-day camp, but it is likely to be extended till the word championships in September (13-21) in Croatia. A total of 120 wrestlers -- 40 each in women's, men's freestyle and Greco roman styles -- have been selected based on the performance in the trials for the Asian Championships. The women's camp used to be held in Lucknow and it made news for wrong reasons during the protests. The Internal Complaints Committee of WFI, formed in the wake of sexual harassment allegations levelled by some of the top wrestlers, will visit the national camps at regular intervals, said an official of WFI. 'Monika Khera, who is chairperson of the ICC, has attended national championship and trials, and she will also visit the national camp in Delhi,' said an official. Four wrestlers each have been picked for each weight division based on their performance in Asian Championships trials. The four wrestlers in the 57kg weight class are Chirag Chikkara, Rahul, Sumit and Vikash Vishnoi. Paris Olympics medallist Aman Sehrawat, who missed the trials and is currently training under TOPS in Russia, doesn't figure in the campers list. 'He will be added to the camp when he returns from his overseas training at the end of May,' said a WFI official. In its guidelines for national camps issued on April 29, WFI has made it clear that only campers will be eligible to appear for selection trials. 'Only wrestlers attending the coaching camp will be eligible for trials, unless given special permission by WFI, particularly if they have won medals in a recent competition. Past performance alone will not qualify a wrestler to be given such permission.' The absence of national camps has impacted training of wrestlers over the last two years as they trained mostly in their respective training centres with limited sparring partners available. Elite wrestlers planned their individual training overseas under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme but among the men's wrestlers, only Aman qualified for Paris Olympics. Last week, wrestling coaches in a meeting with TOPS CEO NS Johal said that individual training programmes of wrestlers under the scheme should be scrutinised and their opinions should be sought. They also suggested that instead of one wrestler alone, three to four wrestlers should be included in such stints for better result.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Compound archers inducted into TOPS core group after Olympic inclusion
Jyothi Surekha Vennam (Photo by Dean Alberga/World Archery Federation via Getty Images NEW DELHI: Seven of India's top compound archers, including Asian Games gold medallists Abhishek Verma and Parneet Kaur, have been inducted into the Sports Ministry 's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) core group following the inclusion of compound archery in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The decision was taken during the 155th meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which included key sports leaders such as Pullela Gopichand and Viren Rasquinha. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! In a landmark move, this is the first new bow category added to the Olympics since archery returned to the Games in 1972. Alongside Verma and Parneet, Ojas Pravin Deotale, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Gopichand Swami, Priyansh, and Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar were also selected based on recent international success and average arrow scores surpassing the required thresholds (9.77+ for men, 9.67+ for women). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Binh Hung Hoa: New Container Houses (Take A Look At The Prices) Container House Search Now Undo Who's that IPL player? The selection followed India's dominant performance at the recent Archery World Cup in Florida. Jyothi Vennam clinched three gold medals — in the women's team (with Aditi and Parneet), mixed team (with Verma), and individual event — while the men's team of Verma, Priyansh, and Prathamesh also secured team gold, with Priyansh earning individual silver. Poll Do you think the inclusion of compound archery in the 2028 Olympics will boost the sport's popularity in India? No, not really Yes, definitely The MOC sanctioned 56 proposals amounting to Rs 4.37 crore across TOPS, TEAMS, and TAGG categories. Other approvals included funding for long jumper Shaili Singh's participation in the UAE Grand Prix and UAE Women's Gala. Singh recently broke her coach Anju Bobby George's 23-year-old national record with a 6.64m jump at the Federation Cup. Also sanctioned were training requests for boxer Nikhat Zareen in Tashkent, table tennis players Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula for the ITTF Worlds in Qatar, and rising 15-year-old tennis star Maaya Rajeswaran for a year-long training stint at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain.
