Asian Games medals beyond funding plan: Athletes who achieved success despite meager support

Neeru Dhanda, left, and Kumkum Mohod (image agency) New Delhi: India’s 21-gold campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games produced an interesting set of numbers: champions who reached the continental podium despite receiving relatively meager targeted financial assistance under government programs for elite athletes.Their stories do not detract from the wider support for Indian sports. Instead, they highlight how performance can sometimes overtake funding sources designed to identify and support medal prospects.The clearest example is the 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod. Recently included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for the Aich-Nagoya Prelims Cycle, Kumkum became the first Indian woman to win an individual recurve gold at the Games when she defeated Oh Yejin of South Korea 6-5 in a shootout. She also won gold in the women’s recurve team event and silver in the mixed team event, ending the campaign with three medals and securing India’s quota for the LA Olympics.The financial support given to her makes her targeted assistance only Rs 50,000. This is a remarkable figure compared to the scale of her achievements, although her preparation has also benefited from the budget allocated to the respective National Sports Federations (NSF) under the Annual Training and Competition Calendar (ACTC).The same pattern is seen in compound archery. Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, who helped India win the mixed team gold with Chikitha Taniparthi and also contributed to the men’s team gold, received Rs 50,000 under TOPS during the game cycle. His podium finish also earned India an Olympic quota in compound archery.Kushal Dalal and Thirumuru Ganesh Maniratnam, members of the Indian men’s composite team that beat China for the gold, also received only Rs 50,000 under TOPS during the cycle. Still, the trio of Dalal, Ganesh and Jadhav produced one of India’s five gold medals in archery at the Games.The contrast becomes sharper when placed next to athletes who receive significantly larger targeted allocations. Boxer Ankush Panghal, for instance, received Rs 75,000 under TOPS, while his other gold boxing partners Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda received assistance of Rs 22.97 million and Rs 8.59 million respectively during the game cycle.These figures show that support was available at significantly different levels depending on athlete classification, requirements and timing within the system.Similarly, in sailing, Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma secured a bronze medal in the women’s sculls, both competitors not part of the TOPS programme. In the same sport, sailors Manu Francis and Prince Noble also won silver in the men’s sculls, but both were not part of the TOPS Core or Development groups. Boxer Kapil Pokhariya was also not part of TOPS.In shooting, the trio of Manisha Keer, Neeru Dhanda and Aashima Ahlawat won the silver medal in the women’s team Trap competition, with Manisha not getting any TOPS assistance while Neeru, a TOPS Development athlete, got Rs one lakh. In athletics, silver javelin thrower Yashvir Singh was not part of the TOPS funding and was largely prepared from the ACTC budget. In Kurash, bronze medalist Pincky Balhara, competing in the 78 kg event, received Rs 75,000 under the TAGG scheme during the Games cycle.BOX:Medalists for low-target assist (under TOPS/TAGG):Archery: Kumkum Mohod (Rs 50,000), Sahil Jadhav (Rs 50,000), Kushal Dalal (Rs 50,000), Thirumuru Maniratnam (Rs 50,000), Box: Ankush (Rs 75,000), Kapil Pokhariya (not covered under TOPS); Shooting: Neeru Dhanda (Rs 1,00,000), Fight: Balhara Pins (Rs 75,000), ANDathletics: Seema (Rs 25,000), Baranica Elangoan and Yashvir Singh (both not covered under TOPS).