The preparations for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games have picked up pace, and the same was reflected when the Sports Ministry revised the list of athletes under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), its flagship high-performance programme.

The Sports Ministry’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), in its 169th meeting on Wednesday, included 249 athletes, including 56 in TOPS, 62 para athletes and 130 in the developmental group.

Shooting and boxing are among the biggest beneficiaries in the revised list. World Champion Samrat Rana, multiple World Cup medallist Suruchi Phogat and upcoming Niraj Kumar, who finished fifth at the ISSF World Shooting Championships, have earned spots for their consistent performances at the international level.

Hitesh Gulia, a World Boxing Finals gold medallist, and Jaismine Lamboria, world champion in the women’s 57 kg category, have been upgraded from the Development Group to the TOPS Core List. Long-distance runner Gulveer Singh was also upgraded to the Core Group after breaking national records in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres events.

The mixed doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila is also included in the Core Group. The duo have consistently featured in the world’s top 20 rankings.

Swimmer Rishab Das, national record holder in men’s 200m backstroke, was also included in the developmental group.

The list also favours the achievements of para athletes, with Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat and Naveen Sivakumar finding their names on the list.

Meanwhile, javelin thrower Annu Rani, two-time world champion Joshna Chinappa (squash), D. Suresh (tennis), and cyclist Anjali Jakhar have been included in the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG) with an eye on the Asian Games.

Deepak Punia (wrestling), HS Prannoy (badminton), Shiva Narwal (shooting), and Divyansh Singh Panwar (shooting) were excluded from the list based on their recent international performances.

Under the TOPS Core Group, athletes are entitled to a monthly stipend of ₹50,000, while those in the Development Group receive ₹25,000 per month, along with access to training and competition opportunities.

Full list of athletes

(Image credits: MYAS)