Sushil returns to TOPS scheme, 11 athletes dropped

Double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar was on Wednesday re-admitted to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) after a gap of two years while 11 athletes were dropped after not making it to the Asian Games squads in their respective disciplines.

Apart from Sushil, there was good news in store for two other wrestlers as well. Female wrestler Pooja Dhanda was included while Sumit Malik, who competes in the men's 125 kg division, received an extension.

However, wrestlers Lalita, Sarita, Parveen Rana and Satyawart Kadian were dropped.

"The committee also sanctioned the extension by one week of Bajrang Punia's training under TOPS in Georgia so that he can participate in the Tbilisi Grand Prix," the Sports Authourity of India (SAI) said in a statement.

The other athletes who were dropped were from archery and athletics.

"The committee has decided to drop Recurve archers Jayanta Talukdar (men) and Laishram Bombayla Devi (women) from the TOPS scheme as neither is a part of the Asian Games squad," the statement said.

"Also excluded from the scheme for the same reason are xompound archers Chinna Raju Srither (men) and Lily Chanu Paonam, Parveena and Divya Dhayal (women)," it added.

--IANS

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