Commonwealth Games winners included in SAI’S TOPS project
NEWDELHI: Shooters Manu Bhaker and Anish Bhanwala, who won gold medals for India in the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, have been included in the Sports Authority of India’s exclusive Target Olympic Podium Scheme. The teenaged shooters will receive special government funding.
TOPS is a scheme under National Sports Development Fund of Department of Sports under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The SAI has been quick to react to the performances at Gold Coast and seeks to back the athletes who can win India medals at more competitive international tournaments like Asian Games and Olympics.
“We are reviewing with the federations and how they want to use our funds. The athletes with potential need extra support and that’s the reason for including these young shooters and boxers in the TOPS scheme,” said SAI Director General Neelam Kapur.
Apart from Bhaker and Bhan- wala, other shooters to make the TOPS scheme are Mehuli Ghosh, Om Prakash Mitharwal and Shahzar Rizvi. Twenty-threeyear-old Rizvi, a Mexico World Cup gold medallist, this week won silver in the 10 meter air pistol event at the ongoing shooting World Cup in Changwon, South Korea. Two boxers have also been included in TOPS scheme -21-year-old Gaurav Solanki, who won gold in the 52kg flyweight category at Gold Coast, and 24-year-old Hussamuddin Mohammad, who won 56kg bantamweight bronze.
SAINA, SINDHU ADVANCE
WUHAN: Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth registered contrasting victories in their respective opening round singles matches at the Badminton Asia Championships.
While Saina and Sindhu registered straight game victories over their respective rivals to enter second round of women’s singles, Srikanth had to fight it out in the men’s singles opener.
World No.12 Saina, who recently clinched gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, hardly broke a sweat in beating Singapore’s Yeo Jia Min 21-12, 21-9.
HOCKEY TEAMS WIN
BANGKOK: The junior Indian men and women’s hockey teams started their campaign at the Youth Olympic Qualifiers with emphatic wins. The women’s team blanked Singapore 14-0 while the men’s side beat home team Thailand 25-0.
Sangita ended with six goals (2’, 8’, 15’, 17’, 21’, 28’) to her name while Lalremisiami scored three (7’, 17’, 21’) for the women’s team.
For junior men’s, Mohammad Alishan (4’, 10’, 17’, 20’, 25’, 29’) netted six goals and Rahul Kumar Rajbhar (2’, 12’, 18’ 22’, 23’) hit five.