26-Jul-2021: Approx. 765 crores spent under Target Olympic Podium Scheme and Scheme of Assistance to NSFs from 2018-19 to till date
Preparation for International events including Olympics is a continuous process. A High-Level Committee was constituted to oversee the preparation of Indian contingent for the Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020.During the second wave of Covid-19, several athletes were sent abroad for training so that they may remain unaffected by the ongoing pandemic in the country. Other Tokyo probables were trained in the training camps with social distancing.
Training and competitive exposure to sportspersons preparing for international sports events including Olympics is taken care of under the funds allocated for the Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations. Customised training of medal prospects is taken care of under Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) under the overall ambit of National Sports Development Fund.
The expenditure under TOPS is 54.26 crore and Scheme of Assistance to NSFs is 711.46 crore 2018-19 to till date.
‘Sports’ is a State subject. It is the primary responsibility of the State Governments to develop sports including development and creation of sports infrastructure of international standards. However, Central Government also provides financial assistance under its scheme of ‘Khelo India’ to States/UTs to develop critical sports infrastructure and other infrastructure, where there are gaps, including for sports science and sports equipment on the basis of viable proposals from them.
Training of sports persons preparing to participate in major international tournaments such as Olympics is mainly held at Centres of Sports Authority of India, which have adequate facilities. Further, in order to improve the facilities owned by the State Governments, each State is permitted to identify one existing sports facilities to be declared as Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (SLKISCE)wherein financial support is provided for manpower and upgradation of sports infrastructure facilities by conducting gap analysis. Such 24 SLKISCEs have already started across the country.
20-Jan-2021: TOPS approves proposal of Manu Bhaker, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa to engage sports psychologist for better preparation
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) sanctioned the proposal from two Olympic-qualified shooters Manu Bhaker and Angad Vir Singh Bajwa to engage the services of sports psychologist Sanjana Kiran to assist them in their preparation for the Tokyo Olympics that are scheduled for later this year. The proposal was sanctioned last week at the Mission Olympic Cell meeting.
Sanjana Kiran is a Singapore-based High performance expert in the field of sport psychology and performance psychology and has provided support to elite athletes and elite coaches in preparation for major events and international competitions.
Speaking about the role of a sports psychologist as part of her preparation for the Olympics, Manu Bhaker who is eligible to participate in both the women’s 10m air pistol and women’s 25m pistol at the Olympics said, “Being in a sport that requires vigorous mental strength and stability to be able to perform flawlessly, getting Sanjana Kiran's guidance will help me to prepare better for the Olympics.”
Olympian and medalist at the Asian and Commonwealth Games Suma Shirur who is currently the High Performance Specialist coach of the Indian Junior Rifle Shooting team, welcomed the decision to have a psychologist working with shooters, “Sport is getting more professional. If we have to put our best foot forward, why not engage experts. In our time, we learnt through experience but nowadays shooters begin early so experts will expedite their learning curve.”
Shirur added that given that most of the Olympic-bound shooters are teenagers or in their early 20s and have gone through a long period out of competitive action due to the coronavirus pandemic, having a psychologist help them is even more important.
Sanjana Kiran’s engagements with Bhaker and Bajwa include online sessions, travelling to competitions to offer her inputs and the travel expenses involved while going for competitions.
The total cost of Kiran’s engagement with the two shooters, starting from January 2021, is approximately Rs. 29 lakh.
Prior to sanctioning this amount to the two shooters, TOPS had sanctioned Rs. 68.39 Lakhs for Angad Vir Singh Bajwa who has qualified for the Olympics in men’s skeet on international training, ammunition and out of pocket allowance. For Manu Bhaker, TOPS had sanctioned Rs. 21.49 Lakhs for ammunition, equipment and out of pocket allowance.
4-Jan-2021: TOPS sanctions specialised equipment for Para Table Tennis player Bhavina Patel
The Mission Olympic Cell met on Tuesday, December 29 for clearing financial proposals of athletes who are a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme. Bhavina Patel, a Para Table Tennis player belonging to Gujarat who was included in the TOPS Scheme in November 2020 had financial proposals of Rs. 7.04 Lakhs sanctioned by the committee. Patel is ranked 8th in the world and by virtue of her current world ranking is well positioned to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics and thus become the first Indian to do so in the sport of Para Table Tennis.
Patel’s requests for the following specialised equipment were sanctioned by the committee:
- Table Tennis Wheelchair
- Robot: Butterfly Amicus Prime
- Wheelchair Table Tennis Table
Patel participates in the F4 category of Para Table Tennis.
25-Dec-2020: 40 day overseas coaching camp sanctioned for Vinesh Phogat in Hungary and Poland under TOPS
The Government through the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) has sanctioned a 40 day training camp for wrestler Vinesh Phogat along with her personal coach Woller Akos, her sparring partner Priyanka Phogat and her physiotherapist Poornima Raman Ngomdir. The camp will take place from December 28, 2020 to January 24, 2021 at the Vasas Sports Club in Budapest, Hungary and from January 24 to February 5, 2021 at the Olympic Training Centre in Szczryk in Poland, and will be conducted at a total approximate cost of Rs. 15.51 Lakhs and includes airfare, local transportation, boarding and lodging charges and out of pocket allowance. Phogat is a part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme.
The training camp has been planned by Phogat’s personal coach Woller Akos, with this camp giving her the opportunity to spar with many European wrestlers in her weight category and improving on her technical and tactical aspects.
Phogat is looking forward to the overseas training camp, saying, “As a wrestler I need to know my level and getting to spar with good wrestlers will be very helpful in assessing where I stand.”
Phogat has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for July-August 2021 in the women’s 53 kg event after winning the bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships. Phogat was a part of the national camp for women’s wrestlers that commenced in SAI Lucknow from October 2020. Her last competitive appearance before the coronavirus lockdown was the Asian Senior Championships in February held in New Delhi where she won a bronze medal.
28-Sep-2020: Mission Olympic Cell sanctions Mirabai Chanu’s overseas training and rehabilitation
The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) had an online meeting earlier today to discuss financial proposals of over Rs. 1.5 crores of athletes in six sports Shooting, Badminton, Boxing, Para Sports, Weightlifting and Hockey who are part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The committee sanctioned weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s proposal of approximately Rs 40 lakhs for a two-month overseas training programme in Kansas, USA along with her coach and physiotherapist, as well as her rehabilitation for a long standing injury that she had been carrying. Speaking about the decision, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri. Kiren Rijiju said, "We are completely focussed on providing the best facilities to our Olympic-bound athletes. It was felt by the experts on the Committee that Mirabai can get the best rehabilitation programme in the US along with training, and therefore her coach and physio are also accompanying her. I am sure this exposure will help her greatly in her Olympic preparation."
The other decisions include the following:
Shooting: The committee sanctioned the proposal of shooters to procure ammunition so that they can train at their own home ranges due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The committee also sanctioned the proposals of Anjum Moudgil and Mairaj Ahmad Khan for their equipment and training requirements.
Boxing: The committee ratified the three month overseas training programme (effective from September 7) of Vikas Krishan along with his personal coach Ron Simms Jr. in the USA.
Badminton: The committee sanctioned the participation of three players Kidambi Srikanth, Saina Nehwal and Lakshya Sen in the Danish Open Super 750. Further it also sanctioned Sen’s training in Denmark and participation in the Saar Lor Lux Open.
Para-Sport: The committee sanctioned the coaching fees of Sharad Kumar’s coach Yevhen Nikitin till the Tokyo Paralympics for a period of one year.
Hockey: The committee has sanctioned the proposal of the Indian men’s hockey team to appoint a physiotherapist RB Kannan for an initial period of three months after the departure of the foreign physio.
The Committee also discussed the measures being taken to protect all athletes who are under training at SAI centres, against COVID 19. The medical experts on the committee reiterated the necessity to strictly follow the quarantine process formulated by the experts, and the SAI and State SOPs to prevent any inadvertent transmission of the virus.
14-Sep-2020: 94 athletes included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme
Preparation for Olympic Games is an ongoing process. Participation in Olympics is through qualification and India sent its largest contingent ever for participation in Olympics in 2016.
In order to improve India’s performance at Olympics and Paralympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports started the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in September 2014. This was revamped in April 2018 to have a technical support team for managing the TOPS athletes and providing holistic support. The scheme is fully functional and has been extending all requisite support to probable athletes identified for the Tokyo-2021,Paris-2024 and Los Angles-2028 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games including foreign training, international competition, equipment and coaching camp besides monthly stipend of Rs.50,000/- for each athlete. At present, 94 athletes are included in the TOPS.
High priority category of sports discipline has been identified to put focus on and incentivize those sports disciplines played in the Olympics in which India has won medals in the last conducted Asian Games as well as Commonwealth Games or in which India has good chance of winning medals in the upcoming Olympics of 2024 (Paris) and 2028 (Los Angeles). Presently, nine sports disciplines viz., (i) Athletics, (ii) Badminton (iii) Hockey (iv)Shooting (v) Tennis (vi) Weightlifting (vii) Wrestling, (viii) Archery and (ix) Boxing have been categorised as ‘High Priority’.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which covers the junior and sub-junior athletes also, is a dynamic exercise, wherein review of performance is done periodically fixing targets and intermediate milestones for individual athletes; and the sportspersons who fail to achieve the targets despite providing additional support and adequate time are dropped from the scheme.
Further, on the basis on key performance indicators brought out by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in collaboration with the National Sports Federations(NSFs), Coaches and other stakeholders, aperiodic performance review is conducted for all athletes under the Scheme.
Objective: In order to improve India’s performance at Olympics and Paralympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) started the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in September 2014. This was revamped in April 2018 to establish a technical support team for managing the TOPS athletes and providing holistic support. The scheme is fully functional and has been extending all requisite support to probable athletes identified for the 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games including foreign training, international competition, equipment and coaching camp besides monthly stipend of Rs. 50,000/- for each athlete.
TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) is a flagship program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports which is an attempt to provide assistance to India’s top athletes. The Scheme looks to add a premium to the preparations of these athletes so that they can win medals in the Olympics.. The Scheme currently supports 104 TOPS Core Group athletes across 13 sports disciplines & Hockey (M & W) teams and 269 TOPS Development Group athletes across 12 sports disciplines.
History of the scheme: In order to realize India’s Olympic medal dream, at the 2016 (Rio) and 2020 (Tokyo) Olympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) established the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS or TOP Scheme) in September 2014. To fulfill the objective of this scheme, a committee (TOPS Elite Athletes’ Identification Committee) was constituted to identify the elite athletes who could achieve the Olympic podium. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is responsible for appointment of TOPS members with emphasis on ensuring representation from ‘High-Priority’ sports (Archery, Badminton, Boxing Hockey, Shooting and Wrestling). The total members of the committee are to be decided by MYAS. TOPS constitution does not stipulate minimum/maximum members for the committee. The first committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Shri. Anurag Thakur (MP) and comprised of eminent athletes (Pulella Gopichand, Rahul Dravid, Abhinav Bindra, and Manisha Malhotra) and sports administrators from Sport Authority of India (SAI) and the MYAS [DG SAI and JS (Sports)].
29-May-2021: Government launches YUVA - Prime Minister’s Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors
The Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education today launched YUVA- Prime Minister’s Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors, an Author Mentorship programme to train young and budding authors (below 30 years of age) in order to promote reading, writing and book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally.
The launch of YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors) is in tune with PM’s vision to encourage young writers to write about India's freedom struggle. It was during Mann ki Baat on 31 January 2021, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi called upon the young generation to write about freedom fighters, incidents associated with freedom, the saga of valour during the period of freedom struggle in their respective areas - as the best tribute to the heroes of India's freedom - as we celebrate 75 years of Indian Independence.
"This will also prepare a category of thought leaders that will decide the course of the future”, said PM.
YUVA is a part of India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav) to bring to the fore the perspectives of the young generation of writers on themes like Unsung Heroes, Freedom Fighters, Unknown and Forgotten Places and their role in National Movement, and other related themes in an innovative and creative manner. This scheme will thus help to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote Indian heritage, culture and knowledge system.
The National Book Trust, India under the Ministry of Education as the Implementing Agency will ensure phase-wise execution of the Scheme under well-defined stages of mentorship. The books prepared under this scheme will be published by National Book Trust, India; and will also be translated into other Indian languages ensuring the exchange of culture and literature, thereby promoting 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'. The selected young authors will interact with some of the best authors of the world; participate in literary festivals etc.
NEP 2020 has emphasised on the empowerment of the young minds and creating a learning ecosystem that can make the young readers/learners ready for leadership roles in the future world. In this context, YUVA will go a long way in laying the foundation of the future leaders of the creative world.
Highlights of YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors):
- A total of 75 authors will be selected through an All India Contest to be conducted through https://www.mygov.in/ from 1 June - 31 July 2021.
- The winners will be announced on 15 August 2021.
- The young authors will be trained by eminent authors/mentors.
- Under the mentorship, the manuscripts will be readied by 15 Dec. 2021 for publication.
- The published books will be launched on 12 January 2022 on the occasion of National Youth Day (Yuva Diwas).
- A consolidated scholarship of Rs.50,000 per month for a period of six months per author will be paid under the Mentorship Scheme
22-May-2021: Khelo India State Centre of Excellence in Srinagar to add training facilities in Kayaking and Canoeing
In a move that promises to strengthen the already commendable performance of athletes of Jammu and Kashmir in the disciplines of Kayaking and Canoeing, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has decided to include the two water sports disciplines at the Khelo India State Center of Excellence (KISCE) in Srinagar. The J&K Sports Council and the state government had initiated the request for these sporting disciplines to be added. The KISCE, which was launched in April 2021, after revamping facilities in the existing J&K Water Sports Academy in the state, earlier had training facilities only for rowing.
Speaking about the decision, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju said, “The performance of athletes from the state in kayaking and canoeing have been impressive in international competitions such as the World Championships and the Asian Championship. It has been decided to equip the KISCE in Srinagar with training facilities for the two disciplines so that more sporting talent from the state have the opportunity to excel in the sport and represent India in world-class competition.”
The Sports Authority of India and the Sports Council of J&K will assess the requirements to implement training in the two disciplines, including coaching and equipment support to be added.
Speaking about the development, Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha said, “We want to ensure maximum utilisation of the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence in Srinagar so that more athletes can be trained here. The addition of these two sporting disciplines will enable greater participation and also draw sporting talent from other states to train here. I am happy that the Sports Ministry and the state Government have worked together to make this possible.”
The endeavour has been welcomed by senior athletes and sports administrators alike. Speaking about the importance of this decision, Prashant Kushwaha, Secretary General, Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association says, “We are thankful to the Centre for making this decision. Kayaking, Canoeing and Rowing together have a total of 63 medals in the Olympics. If we can provide training to youngsters in these disciplines then India’s medal haul in the Olympics can go up significantly. The equipment of these sports are very expensive and therefore support through the Khelo India Scheme will be really beneficial. Also, Kashmir is a very strategic location for the academy since the weather matches with European countries where most competitions are held. This is a great step towards improving water sports in India.”
International-level Kayak from the state, Bilquis Mir says. “The decision to have the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence in Srinagar has historic significance. I have been attached to water sports for 21 years and it is for the first time that so much has been done to provide proper training facilities in the state. In 2009 I competed in the World Cup and reached the semi-finals. If we had these kinds of facilities at that time, I am sure we could have held a place in the finals too. The launch of the KISCE and now the inclusion of kayaking and canoeing will enthuse young athletes of the sport and I am sure we will be able to attain a podium finish in the Olympics in the years to come. I thank the Centre and the state for this initiative.”
18-Jan-2021: Shri Kiren Rijiju inaugurates Khelo India State Centre of Excellence at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju launched the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Mhalunge-Balewadi in Pune on Monday. This is the 9th KISCE formally inaugurated by the Union Minister so far and the Maharashtra-based sports complex will focus on three Priority Olympic disciplines – Shooting, Athletics and Cycling.
“Today is a very important day not just for Maharashtra but for entire India. Maharashtra is a very big State and I have seen the potential here. We are happy to extend all kinds of support for the development of all the athletes and even in future we will continue doing so,” said Shri Rijiju at the event.
The Union Minister reaffirmed that the Government is dedicated to strengthen the sports ecosystem in every possible way. “We have made policies to have 1000 Khelo India Centres across all districts of the country. All the rural students can avail all the facilities and support to continue their sports practice. All the best players from these districts in return will be trained at the KISCE to become elite athletes. The State Government and the Central Government have to work in hand and collectively we have to work together to keep strengthening our sports culture.”
The Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) in Pune will be supported financially for renovation to operationalise the 25m electronic target shooting range besides support in providing of road and track cycles. They will also be provided financial support for sports science backup, engagement of coaches, support staff, sports equipment and more. The Sports Authority of India will keep providing technical expertise and assistance on routine basis.
The Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex has played a dominant role in Indian sports history. Some of the major events hosted here include the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games, the Asia U-16 Basketball Championship for Women in 2009, the Khelo India Youth Games 2019, and more. The Stadium also was the home venue for former I-League team Pune FC and Indian Super League side FC Pune City.
The 9 KISCEs inaugurated so far include:
- Nagaland- State Sports Academy, IG Stadium Kohima
- Manipur - Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Imphal
- Arunachal Pradesh - Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy, Chimpu Itanagar
- Mizoram - Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl
- Odisha - Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar
- Telangana - Regional Sports School Hakimpet
- Karnataka - Sh. Jayaprakash Narayan National Youth Centre Bangalore
- Kerala - GV Raja Sr. Sec. Sports School Thiruvananthapuram
- Maharashtra - Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune
With a vision to make India one of the top 10 countries in 2028 Olympics, the Khelo India State Centres of Excellence will ensure that athletes proficient in a certain sport can be given the world-class specialised training and these centers become the best facilities in the country to train athletes in the priority sport for which they have been earmarked.