TOP Scheme will be reviewed after Asian Games: SAI DG

The beneficiaries under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) will be thoroughly reviewed after the upcoming Asian Games and the administrative mechanism of the programme will be completely overhauled, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said today.

Under the TOP Scheme, some 180-odd athletes are currently getting financial assistance from the government for their training to prepare for the Asian Games and 2020 Olympics.

"We will have an entire restructuring of the TOP Scheme. First, we will have a complete review of the beneficiaries after the Asian Games. Many of them are there in the list in view of the Asian Games," SAI Director General Neelam Kapur told reporters today.

Asked if there would be drastic reduction in the number of beneficiaries, she said, "Let us wait for the Asian Games to be over."
"We as a country are not currently at a stage where we can win a lot of medals (in Olympics). The idea is to nurture talented and deserving athletes. Ten years down the line, TOPS may be only for athletes preparing for Olympics."
"We are a Society and we cannot function as a government department. The idea is to serve the athletes and Indian sports and not to act as a regulator. Sports Ministry is the regulator and policy maker and SAI is not. The word Authority has been removed and we will registered as Sports India with the trademark authority."
"Selection of teams is the prerogative of NSFs and IOA and we should let them do that job. The (aggrieved) federations have made their representations (to the IOA) and they (IOA) will deal with that. We do not come into the picture and we are not going to do anything."
Asked about this, Kapur said, "Every selection has been done with full involvement of the federations. We have not kept any NSF out of this process. We have a High Power Committee and the IOA sends its representative. Batra's representative (Lalit Bhanot) was there. He (Bhanot) is privy to whatever decision we have taken."
"If we are spending a lot of money on foreign coaches, they are accountable to us and they have to give results. If a federation says a coach is doing good, we will go by it. But we will have a thorough review and non-performing foreign coaches will have to go."