After Paris dip, Govt eyes ‘flab’ cut in elite Olympics scheme | Sport-others News
Indian Olympic hopefuls may no longer get unfettered access to public funds for their preparation as the Government is considering “cutting the flab” from its flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
The move is being debated within the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) — the high-powered committee comprising former athletes, coaches, government officials and adminrators — and the fresh selection parameters could be decided in the coming weeks, two members of the panel told The Indian Express.
At present, there are close to 300 athletes across core and developmental groups who receive financial support under TOPS. One MOC official projected that the number could be halved if the selection rules get strict.
While there is no move yet to reduce funding, it was proposed during a review of the country’s disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics — six medals (one silver, five bronze) — that only those athletes who genuinely meet the criteria should receive funding under TOPS.
The key benchmark, it was suggested, should be the ability to challenge for a medal, as the name of the scheme implies.
Another clause that is likely to be added to fresh contracts for the 2028 Olympics cycle relates to accountability. Sources said many athletes are yet to submit their bills and expenses up to roughly “Rs 10 crore are yet to be settled”. “Many athletes who have retired are also yet to submit their expense sheets. We have no doubts over their intent, the money was sanctioned only after the proposals were carefully vetted. But the accounts need to be settled,” an official said.
The restructuring of how athletes are funded has been the major post-Paris discussion. During the Olympics, legendary shuttler Prakash Padukone indicated that players were pampered “maybe to some extent”, which affected their hunger to win.
The latest proposals, however, do not have unanimous backing as officials from some sports fear many of their athletes could be removed from the scheme as a consequence of the new guidelines.
Being a part of the TOPS gives athletes unprecedented privileges (see chart) if their proposals are vetted and approved. Athletes who aren’t picked receive funding via other schemes but do not have the liberty of personal coaching or tailor-made training programmes unless they are supported private organisations.
It is learnt that the MOC has been split into multiple sub-committees and each is tasked with forming selection policies for core disciplines. In an MOC meeting before the Paris Games, it was recommended that a Target Asian Games Podium Scheme be launched to support the athletes who can challenge for a medal at the continental event but might not be strong enough for the Olympics. That idea, officials said, is now back on the table.
