On May 25th, the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) approved several proposals related to training and support for Indian athletes.
Olympic Gold Medallist Neeraj Chopra’s proposal to train in Kuortane, Finland, was approved by the MOC. Neeraj, who recently became the first Indian Javelin thrower to attain the top rank in the world, intends to train at the Kuortane Olympic Training Centre in Finland in preparation for multiple World Athletics – Gold Level tournaments scheduled for June. Neeraj had followed a similar training plan in 2022.
Paddler Payas Jain’s proposal for an advance training camp in Taiwan was also approved by the MOC. Additionally, Indian Table Tennis Stars Manika Batra and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran received approval for their proposals to take personal coaches Aman Balgu and Raman Subramanian, respectively, for multiple events. Manika and Aman Balgu will head to WTT Contender, Zagreb, and WTT Star Contender, Ljubljana, while Sathiyan and Raman Subramanian will participate in WTT Contender Tunis, WTT Contender Zagreb, and WTT Contender Ljubljana.
Financial assistance will be provided to cover expenses such as air travel, camp expenses, boarding and lodging costs, medical insurance, and out-of-pocket allowances for the approved athletes and coaches.
Furthermore, Rower Salman Khan was inducted into the Development group of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Salman, hailing from Haryana’s Mewat region, won the gold medal in rowing at the Gujarat National Games last year. This inclusion in TOPS will provide Salman with support and resources to further his development as an athlete.