Sports Ministry provides financial assistance to multiple athletes towards international competitions

Khel Today Bureau

New Delhi: The Union Sports Ministry’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) accepted proposals of several athletes from across the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core and Development Groups in an effort to assist them better in their preparations as well as facilitate in their participation in upcoming competitions.

Tokyo Paralympics silver medalist Nishad Kumar, who created an Asian record of 2.06m in the T47 Men’s High Jump event, has been granted a financial assistance to the tune of Rs 18.9 Lakh towards training at the Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, United States. Nishad already left for the 73-day training camp, which started on June 2 and will continue until August 12, along with his physiotherapist Aalaap Jawadekar.

Nishad, who will be in action during the Asian Para-Games next year, will be training in Chula Vista under Jeremy Fischer, who is the lead coach and director of the centre.

Meanwhile, 3000m steeplechase runner Avinash Sable, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, has been granted financial assistance to travel to Colorado Springs, where he will compete at the Diamond League in Rabat on June 5. Sable, who is a part of the TOPS Core team, will also be assisted with Masseur as well as a Garmin GPS watch. The total financial assistance has been to the tune of Rs 3.52 Lakh.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics competitor Annu Rani has also been assisted financially for the procurement of Nemeth and Nordic Valhalla Javelins, to the tune of Rs 4.15 Lakh.

Among other sports, Table Tennis players Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula have also been extended support. While Manika has been provided financial support to have her personal coach Chris Pfeiffer beside her for the WTT Contender Zagreb (June 13-19), Sreeja has been provided financial assistance towards participation in WTT Feeder Otocec, Slovenia (June 20-26).

Swimmer Aneesh Gowda has been provided financial assistance towards participation in Singapore National Swimming Championships (June 23-26), while Men’s Sabre Fencer Karan Singh has been extended support to have a training camp at the Bauer Fencing Academy Orleans, France, from June 1 till July 31.

Karan, who will train under the watchful eyes of Christian Bauer, will compete in the Asian Fencing Championship Seoul from June 10-15 as well as in the Senior World Fencing Championship Cairo from July 15-23. The only other Fencer from India who is training under Christian Bauer is Bhavani Devi.