NEW DELHI: Seven of India’s top compound archers, including Asian Games gold medallists Abhishek Verma and Parneet Kaur, have been inducted into the Sports Ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) core group following the inclusion of compound archery in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The decision was taken during the 155th meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which included key sports leaders such as Pullela Gopichand and Viren Rasquinha.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
In a landmark move, this is the first new bow category added to the Olympics since archery returned to the Games in 1972. Alongside Verma and Parneet, Ojas Pravin Deotale, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Gopichand Swami, Priyansh, and Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar were also selected based on recent international success and average arrow scores surpassing the required thresholds (9.77+ for men, 9.67+ for women).
Who's that IPL player?
The selection followed India’s dominant performance at the recent Archery World Cup in Florida. Jyothi Vennam clinched three gold medals — in the women’s team (with Aditi and Parneet), mixed team (with Verma), and individual event — while the men’s team of Verma, Priyansh, and Prathamesh also secured team gold, with Priyansh earning individual silver.
The MOC sanctioned 56 proposals amounting to Rs 4.37 crore across TOPS, TEAMS, and TAGG categories. Other approvals included funding for long jumper Shaili Singh’s participation in the UAE Grand Prix and UAE Women’s Gala. Singh recently broke her coach Anju Bobby George’s 23-year-old national record with a 6.64m jump at the Federation Cup.
Also sanctioned were training requests for boxer Nikhat Zareen in Tashkent, table tennis players Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula for the ITTF Worlds in Qatar, and rising 15-year-old tennis star Maaya Rajeswaran for a year-long training stint at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain.
The decision was taken during the 155th meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which included key sports leaders such as Pullela Gopichand and Viren Rasquinha.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
In a landmark move, this is the first new bow category added to the Olympics since archery returned to the Games in 1972. Alongside Verma and Parneet, Ojas Pravin Deotale, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Gopichand Swami, Priyansh, and Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar were also selected based on recent international success and average arrow scores surpassing the required thresholds (9.77+ for men, 9.67+ for women).
Who's that IPL player?
The selection followed India’s dominant performance at the recent Archery World Cup in Florida. Jyothi Vennam clinched three gold medals — in the women’s team (with Aditi and Parneet), mixed team (with Verma), and individual event — while the men’s team of Verma, Priyansh, and Prathamesh also secured team gold, with Priyansh earning individual silver.
The MOC sanctioned 56 proposals amounting to Rs 4.37 crore across TOPS, TEAMS, and TAGG categories. Other approvals included funding for long jumper Shaili Singh’s participation in the UAE Grand Prix and UAE Women’s Gala. Singh recently broke her coach Anju Bobby George’s 23-year-old national record with a 6.64m jump at the Federation Cup.
Also sanctioned were training requests for boxer Nikhat Zareen in Tashkent, table tennis players Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula for the ITTF Worlds in Qatar, and rising 15-year-old tennis star Maaya Rajeswaran for a year-long training stint at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain.
You may also like
Diabetes drug can effectively treat fatty liver: Study
Crispy and Spicy Delight: Recipe for the Perfect Bhindi 65
Boy, 2, diagnosed with leukaemia after four doctors missed warning signs
Congress leader questions timing of Centre's decision on caste census
Health Benefits of a Home Eye Mask for Your Eyes
