Seven Compound Archers Join TOPS Core Group Ahead of LA 2028 Olympics

New Inductions in TOPS Core Group

New Delhi [India], April 30: During its 155th meeting, the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) welcomed seven compound archers into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Core group.

The MOC acknowledged the International Olympic Committee's recent inclusion of compound archery in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The meeting featured notable attendees such as Pullela Gopichand, Viren Rasquinha, Prashanti Singh, Kamlesh Mehta, MM Somaya, and Siddharth Shanker from the Reliance Foundation, as reported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Media.

This marks a historic moment as it is the first addition of a new bow style since archery's return to the Olympic Games in 1972. The newly inducted compound archers are Ojas Pravin Deotale, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Gopichand Swami, Abhishek Verma, Parneet Kaur, Priyansh, and Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar.

Recently, these archers showcased their skills at the Archery World Cup held in Florida, USA, where Jyothi Surekha Vennam, India's top compound archer, secured three gold medals. She led the women's team to victory alongside Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur, and also clinched the mixed team gold with Abhishek Verma. Jyothi triumphed over Mexico's Andrea Becerra to win the individual gold medal.

In the men's category, the team of Abhishek Verma, Priyansh, and Prathamesh earned gold, while Priyansh took home a silver medal. To qualify for the TOPS Core group, these seven archers met the criteria of achieving an average arrow score of 9.77+ for men and 9.67+ for women, in addition to being medallists at recent World Championships or World Games, or ranking in the top four in team events.

The MOC also approved 56 proposals across various disciplines under TOPS, TEAMS, and TAGG (Target Asian Games Group), amounting to Rs 4.37 crore. Among the approvals was financial support for long jumper Shaili Singh to compete in the UAE Grand Prix on May 9 and the UAE Athletics Women’s Gala on May 11, 2025. Shaili recently broke a 23-year-old record set by legendary athlete Anju Bobby George with a leap of 6.64 meters at the Federation Cup in Ernakulam.

Additionally, boxer Nikhat Zareen received approval for financial assistance for a 17-day international training camp in Tashkent, alongside Uzbekistan's elite women's team from May 8 to 23. This support covers airfare, lodging, and other expenses for her and her coach.

The MOC also granted financial assistance to table tennis players Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula for competing in the ITTF World Championship in Doha, Qatar, from May 17 to 25. Asian Games silver medallist in equestrian, Fouaad Mirza, will receive funding for 18 events until December 2025, covering entry fees, travel, and coaching costs.

Fifteen-year-old tennis player Maaya Rajeswaran's request for financial support for 22 international competitions and training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, until December 2025 was also approved. Maaya is currently the youngest player in the top 700 of the WTA rankings.

Furthermore, fencer Bhavani Devi's proposal for a 150-day international training camp in Italy with coach Cristian Bauer, along with participation in five international events, was approved. The MOC also supported 18-year-old cyclist Harshita Jakhar's request for financial assistance to purchase a specialized road time trial bike costing Rs 14.40 lakh.

Lastly, Paris Paralympics silver medallist Nishad Kumar's request for training assistance in Chula Vista, USA, for 60 days was also approved, along with two-time Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil's proposal for support to compete in the Nottwil World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2025.