Olympics
Sports Ministry approves foreign training for Paris bound Athletes
Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell approves foreign training camps for Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games-bound athletes, including wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
Vinesh Phogat trains (File Photo/UWW)
The Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has greenlit foreign training camps for several elite athletes, including wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
Vinesh Phogat, a prominent name in Indian wrestling, has secured financial assistance for her training camps in Madrid, Spain, and Boulogne sur-Mer, France. Her rigorous training schedule includes participation in the Grand Prix in Spain followed by extensive training sessions in France, totaling 20 days, in the lead-up to the Olympics.
Joining Vinesh in the pursuit of Olympic glory, Indian pistol shooter Arjun Singh Cheema has been approved for an 11-day training stint in Austria. Meanwhile, Paralympics-bound javelin throwers Ajeet Singh and Sandeep Choudhary will undergo specialized training in Germany, with Ajeet training for 45 days and Sandeep for 41 days under renowned coaches.
Para-athlete Pranav Soorma's request for support under the Target Olympics Podium Scheme (TOPS) to compete in the Para Athletics Championship in Serbia and subsequent training received a nod from the MOC, highlighting the government's commitment to nurturing talent across diverse sporting disciplines.
Additionally, the MOC sanctioned assistance for several other athletes, including triple jumper Eldhose Paul, boxer Lovlina Borgohain, and table tennis players Sreeja Akula and Manika Batra, to participate in international competitions. Manika Batra's proposal for the procurement of a DHS Table for training purposes and para-athlete Bhagyashree Jadhav's request for wheelchair and shot-put equipment were also approved.
Notably, wrestler Antim Panghal's plea for assistance for her coach's boarding and lodging during the UWW 2nd Ranking Series and the training camp in Hungary, as well as badminton players Rakshitha Sree and Anmol Kharb's request for support to compete in the Kaohsiung Masters event, were granted by the MOC.
Furthermore, the MOC elevated five athletes from the TOPS development group to the core group, recognizing their potential and dedication to their respective sports. Boxers Nishant Dev, Jaismine Lamboria, and Preeti Pawar, along with table tennis players Manav Thakkar and Archana Kamath, have been promoted.
