New Delhi: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), during their 129th meeting, approved proposals for Paris Olympics-bound boxers to train in Turkey, with just a few months left for the global event.
MYAS, under Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) funding, will provide financial assistance to Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen, Preeti Pawar, Praveen Hooda and Lovlina Borgohain, along with two coaches and a physiotherapist, for a special foreign training camp in Turkey.
Besides the boxers, MOC also approved foreign training camps for five TOPS wrestlers who are preparing for the upcoming Paris Olympic Qualifiers and Asian Championships.
Wrestlers Sujeet (65kg), Deepak Punia (86kg) and Naveen (74kg) will head to Russia along with their respected sparring partners, coach (for Ravi) and physiotherapists to train ahead of the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in April.
Meanwhile, Indian shooter Bhowneesh Mendiratta will head to Italy to train with personal coach Daniele Di Spigno for the preparation of the ISSF World Cup, Baku.
The Ministry, under its Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) funding, will cover their airfare, accommodation and food costs, visa costs and coaching fee (for Bhowneesh), among other expenditures.
MOC also approved Asian Games and Commonwealth Games (CWG) medalist Murali Sreeshankar's proposal for financial assistance towards Diamond League competitions in Suzhou and Doha.
TOPS will cover his coach and psychologist's airfare, boarding/lodging costs, OPA, visa fees and medical insurance costs, among others.
Indian Paddler Manika Batra, meanwhile, will get financial assistance for participation in the WTT Feeder Varazdin in Croatia, along with financial assistance for her coach Aman Balgu for participation in the World Mixed Doubles Olympic Qualification Event in Havirov, Czech Republic.
MOC under TOPS will cover their airfare, along with hospitality expenditures (accommodation, food, entry fees, and local transport) for her coach during the Olympic Qualification event and hospitality expenditures (accommodation, food, entry fees, local transport), visa fees, medical insurance and an OPA for her practice partner Kiryl Barabanov during the WTT Feeder Varazdin event.
During the meeting, MOC also inducted three shooters and one para-badminton player into the TOPS core group for this Olympic cycle.
Four athletes inducted into TOPS are: India para-shuttler Palak Kohli, skeet shooters Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Raiza Dhillon, and trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari.
