Archer Deepika Kumari reinstated in main TOPS group – Firstpost

Archer Deepika Kumari, who won a silver medal at the recently concluded World Cup in Shanghai, has been reinducted into the main group of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), the Sports Ministry announced on Monday.

Deepika, who missed the entire 2023 season after becoming a mother in December 2022, has continued her momentum since her return. The 29-year-old recurve archer, a three-time Olympian, won a medal at the Asian Cup earlier this year. On Sunday, she added a silver medal to her kitten at the World Cup in China.

So far, only Dhiraj Bommadevara has qualified for the Games in the men’s individual event thanks to his silver medal at the Asian qualifying tournament in Bangkok last year.

There is only one qualifying tournament left for the Paris Olympics and it will be held in Antalya, Turkey, on June 15-16.

Another archer, Mrinal Chauhan, was added to the TOPS development group, while Pravin Jadhav moved from the development group to the core group and para-powerlifter Ashok was inducted into the TOPS core group, the ministry added of Sports in its press release.

The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), in its 133rd meeting, also inducted squash players Anahat Singh, Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar into the TOPS development group, to help them prepare for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics .

Squash was included in the Los Angeles sports program. “Looking at India’s performances in squash over the last two decades, particularly in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, the MOC has decided to induct three squash players into its TOPS Development Group, with the aim to help them provide all necessary assistance to prepare for the global event,” the ministry statement said.