Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) had an online meeting on September 28, 2020, to discuss financial proposals of over Rs 1.5 crore of athletes in six sports : Shooting, Badminton, Boxing, Para Sports, Weightlifting, and Hockey, who are part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
The committee sanctioned weightlifter Mirabai Chanu’s proposal of approximately Rs 40 lakh for a two-month overseas training programme in Kansas, USA, along with her coach and physiotherapist, as well as her rehabilitation from a long standing injury that she had been carrying.
Speaking about the decision, Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “We are completely focussed on providing the best facilities to our Olympic-bound athletes. It was felt by the experts on the Committee that Mirabai can get the best rehabilitation programme in the US along with training, and therefore her coach and physio are also accompanying her. I am sure this exposure will help her greatly in her Olympic preparation.”
The other decisions are :
Shooting:
The committee sanctioned the proposal of shooters to procure ammunition so that they can train at their own home ranges due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The committee also sanctioned the proposals of Anjum Moudgil and Mairaj Ahmad Khan for their equipment and training requirements.
Boxing:
The committee ratified the three month overseas training programme (effective from September 7) of Vikas Krishan along with his personal coach Ron Simms Jr. in the USA.
Badminton:
The committee sanctioned the participation of three players : Kidambi Srikanth, Saina Nehwal, and Lakshya Sen in the Danish Open Super 750. Further it also sanctioned Sen’s training in Denmark and participation in the Saar LorLux Open.
Para-Sport:
The committee sanctioned the coaching fees of Sharad Kumar’s coach Yevhen Nikitin till the Tokyo Paralympics for a period of one year.
Hockey:
The committee has sanctioned the proposal of the Indian men’s hockey team to appoint a physiotherapist RB Kannan for an initial period of three months after the departure of the foreign physio.
The Committee also discussed the measures being taken to protect all athletes who are under training at SAI centres, against COVID 19. The medical experts on the committee reiterated the necessity to strictly follow the quarantine process formulated by the experts, and the SAI and State SOPs to prevent any inadvertent transmission of the virus, according to a PIB release.