Ministry approves financial assistance for judokas, shuttlers and fencers

The Sports Ministry's on Thursday approved financial assistance towards training and competitions for 10 judokas, two badminton players and three fencers, among others.

Ten judokas, including three TOPS development and seven NCOE athletes, will train for 21 days in Uzbekistan and Georgia, and compete in three Grand Slam events in Uzbekistan, Georgia and Turkey during this period.

The players' participation fees, airfare, lodging and boarding, medical insurance cost, local travel, and food costs, among other expenditures, would be borne by Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) also approved expenditure for two badminton players to compete in German Open, All England Championship, Swiss Open, Orleans Masters, Spain Masters and Orleans Masters. However, the SAI release didn't disclose the names of the shuttlers.

In fencing, financial assistance has been approved for Laishram Moramba, Shreya Gupta and Oinam Jubraj Singh to compete at Cadet and Junior Asian Championship in Taskhent in March.

Swimmer Srihari Nataraj was also provided financial assistance towards participation in Singapore National Championships and for the services of his personal coach Nihar Ameen and physiotherapist Karthikeyan Balavenkatesan for this event.

During the two-day meeting held on Wednesday and Thursday, the MOC members along with representatives of the SAI and various National Federations also discussed their roadmap for the upcoming Asian Games and the year leading up to the Paris Olympics.