Target Olympic Podium Scheme | 13 May 2023

Why in News?

Olympian and World Championship silver medallist archer Atanu Das has been re-introduced in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

• Other big names to be included in TOPS are rifle shooter Mehuli Ghosh and 15-year-old Tilottama Sen, who won bronze in 10m air rifle event at International Shooting Sport Federation World Cup 2023 held in Cairo, Egypt.
• A total of 27 new names were inducted in the TOPS Core and Development lists which now takes the total number of TOPS athletes to 270 (101 in Core, 169 in Development).

What is the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)?

• About:
  • To improve India’s performance at Olympics and Paralympics, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) started the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) in September 2014.
    • This was revamped in April 2018 to establish a technical support team for managing the TOPS athletes and providing holistic support.
• High Priority Sports:
  • The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is responsible for appointment of TOPS members with emphasis on ensuring representation from ‘High-Priority’ sports (Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Hockey, Shooting and Wrestling).
• Recent Success:
  • The TOPS sponsored athletes gained relative success at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
    • P V Sindhu and Sakshi Malik captured silver and bronze in Badminton and Wrestling respectively at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
    • In the 2016 Paralympic Games, the TOPS Athletes won 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze demonstrating the effectiveness of the Scheme.
  • In the Commonwealth Games, out of the 70 athletes who won medals at the, 47 of them were supported under the TOP Scheme.
• Mission Olympic Cell:
  • The Mission Olympic Cell is a dedicated body created to assist the athletes who are selected under the TOP Scheme.
    • The MOC is under the Chairmanship of the Director General, Sports Authority of India (DG, SAI).
• National Sports Development Fund (NSDF):
  • The National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) was established in November, 1998 under Charitable Endowments Act, 1890 with the aim of promotion of sports and games in the country.
  • NSDF has been vital in the working of TOPS across disciplines.
• Upcoming Olympic Events:
  • Summer Olympics 2024: Paris, France
  • Winter Olympics 2026: Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
  • Summer Olympics 2028: Los Angeles, USA
  • Summer Olympics 2032: Brisbane, Australia

Source: IE