TOPS core group pruned from 120 athletes to just 42

The double Olympics bronze medal-winning men's hockey team, the men's and women's athletics relay teams, and a number of individual athletes have been left out from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme's (TOPS) list for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cycle, according to officials aware of the matter.

- Shantanu Srivastava

NEW DELHI:

In the Paris Games cycle, a total of 120 athletes from Olympic sports were part of the core group. That number is now down to 42. On the other hand, 52 para athletes have also made the core group as against 57 in the Paris Games cycle. HT has seen the new list. Among the major athletes who have been left out are table tennis ace Sharath Kamal, Asian Games silver medallist in 100m hurdles Jyothi Yarraji, long jumper Jeswin Aldrin, and Asian Games gold medallist shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor.

Athletics, which had 30 sportspersons in the core group in last cycle, now has only three athletes - javelin ace Neeraj Chopra, 3,000m steeplechaser Avinash Sable and long jumper Murali Sreeshankar.