Target Olympic Podium Scheme: Four Indian boxers, Preeti Pawar, Priya, Arundhati Chaudhary, and Sachin, have been elevated to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group after their standout performances at the 2026 Asian Boxing Elite Championships. Meanwhile, three others have been added to the Development group. This decision was made during the 172nd Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting on Wednesday.Preeti (54kg), Priya (60kg), and Arundhati (70kg) earned gold medals at the continental meet in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, earlier this month, while Sachin (60kg) took silver. The Mission Olympic Cell, responsible for evaluating athletes’ performances under the TOPS framework, made its decision after a thorough review of recent results, world rankings, and performance progress.
Preeti is scheduled to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Asian Games in Japan later this year. She will be joined by Jaismine (57kg), Priya (W60kg), Arundhati (W70kg), and Sachin (M60kg). Preeti, Priya, and Sachin will participate in both events. These athletes qualified directly for the CWG 2026 and Asian Games 2026 in accordance with the selection policy of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).
Boxing remains a key sport for India to win medals at CWG 2026. The event does not include many other sports like shooting, badminton, wrestling, field hockey, and others, where India might have secured additional medals.
The MOC also added three boxers, Aditya (65kg), Deepak (70kg), and Harsh (90kg), to the TOPS Development group based on their performances at the Asian Championships. Narender (+90kg) was placed in the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG), where he will receive support until the 2026 Asian Games. Harsh and Narender both won bronze medals, while Aditya and Deepak reached the quarterfinals at the Ulaanbaatar meet earlier this month.
The TOPS Development group acts as a feeder to the Core category, providing promising athletes with structured support, exposure, and monitoring as they advance toward elite performance. Currently, the TOPS Core group includes 7 boxers, the Development group has 25 boxers, and the TAGG scheme features one boxer, as preparations ramp up for the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games cycle.
Article Source: IANS
