NEW DELHI, Apr 13: The Sports Ministry’s Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has approved Commonwealth Game silver medallist steeplechase runner Avinash Sable’s training tour to St Moritz, Switzerland to prepare for this year’s World Athletics Championships.
Expenditure for 3000m steeplechase runner Sable’s Switzerland training camp will be covered under the ministry’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
It will cover Sable and his coach’s airfare, visa fees, local transport costs, boarding and lodging, and out of pocket allowance (OPA) among other expenses.
Sable, along with his coach Scott Simons are scheduled to train at St Moritz from August 7 till 16, before heading to Budapest, Hungary for the World Championships.
Besides Sable’s proposal, the MOC also approved proposals of eight paddlers to compete at various WTT events.
The TOPS paddlers whose proposals were approved are Manika Batra (WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand), Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand), Payas Jain (WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand), Manush Shah (WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand), Sreeja Akula (WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand), Archana Kamath (WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand), Yashaswini Ghorpade (WTT Youth Star Contender Podgorica and WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand) and Diya Chitale (WTT Star Contender Bangkok, Thailand).
The TOPS will cover the paddlers’ airfare, visa fees, local transport costs, boarding and lodging, besides other expenses. (PTI)