Jyothi Surekha, Abhishek among seven compound archers added to TOPS core group

The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) inducted seven compound archers into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group at their 155th meeting on Wednesday.

The MOC took cognizance of International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recent decision to make compound archery part of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The 155th MOC was attended by Pullela Gopichand, Viren Rasquinha, Prashanti Singh, Kamlesh Mehta, MM Somaya, Siddharth Shanker of Reliance Foundation, among others.

It is the first time since archery’s re-introduction to the Olympic Games in 1972 that a new bow style has been added to the competition.

The seven compound archers inducted directly into the TOPS Core group are Ojas Pravin Deotale, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami, Abhishek Verma, Parneet Kaur, Priyansh, and Prathamesh Jawkar.

For induction in TOPS Core, the seven archers fulfilled the eligibility criteria of having average arrow score of 9.77+ for men and 9.67+ for women apart from being a medallist at the recently held World Championships or World Games, top-4 rank in team event of World Championships or World Games or individual/team medallist in the previous Asian Games.

The MOC cleared 56 proposals across TOPS

The MOC cleared long jumper Shaili Singh’s proposal for financial assistance to compete in the UAE Grand Prix on May 9 and the UAE Athletics Women’s Gala on May 11, 2025.

Shaili, 21, shattered coach and legendary athlete Anju Bobby George’s 23-year-old meet record with a leap of 6.64 metres at the recently concluded Federation Cup in Ernakulam.

The MOC approved boxer Nikhat Zareen’s request for financial assistance to participate in 17-day international training in Tashkent along with Uzbekistan’s elite women’s team from May 8 to 23. The assistance includes her airfare, boarding and lodging along with her coach, visa fees and medical insurance, among others.

The MOC also cleared the proposals of table tennis players Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula for financial assistance towards competing in the ITTF World Championship in Doha, Qatar, from May 17 to 25.

2018 Asian Games silver medallist in equestrian, Fouaad Mirza, will also receive financial support for competing in 18 events till December 2025, which includes tournament entry fees, horse and rider travelling expenses, boarding and lodging for 140 days and coaching fees.

15-year-old tennis player Maaya Rajeswaran’s proposal seeking financial assistance for 22 international competitions and training at the iconic Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain till December 2025 was also approved by the MOC. Maaya is currently the youngest tennis player to be inside top-700 in WTA rankings.

The MOC also cleared proposal of fencer Bhavani Devi for 150-day international training camp in Italy with coach Cristian Bauer apart from competing in five international events. 18-year-old cyclist Harshita Jakhar’s request for providing financial assistance towards purchase of specialized road time trial bike costing Rs 14.40 lakh was also approved by the MOC.

Paris Paralympics silver medallist Nishad Kumar’s request for financial assistance towards training in Chula Vista, USA, for 60 days was also given a go ahead by the MOC. Two-time Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil’s proposal for financial support to compete in Nottwil World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025 was also cleared by the MOC.