Restructuring at SAI: TOPS given charge of all Olympic disciplines

PTI

NEW DELHI, May 25: In a rejig of the Sports Authority of India’s day-to-day operations, the N S Johal-led Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) Division has been given charge of 27 Olympic disciplines besides being told to address governance issues in national federations whenever asked by the Sports Ministry.

In an order issued by Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao, who is also the Director General of SAI, the TOPS division has also been entrusted with the task of being the primary interface between SAI and respective National Sports Federations (NSFs).

Johal is already in-charge of the Target Asian Games Group (TAGG), which will continue to exist as a sub-group in TOPS.

“This has been done to ensure better coordination in operations and reduce bottlenecks,” a top SAI source told PTI.

TOPS was instituted in 2014 to primarily assist elite athletes in their training and competition planning in high priority sports like boxing, badminton, and athletics.

From now, aquatics, archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian, fencing, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, shooting, skateboarding, sport climbing, squash, surfing, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, weightlifting, and wrestling will be overseen by TOPS completely.

The order stated that TOPS will act as the “primary interface” between SAI and respective National Sports Federations (NSFs), associations, and stakeholders for assigned sports.

The division will also address governance issues whenever referred by Ministry, development proposals and budgeting matters of NSFs for the allocated disciplines.

Overall coordination for participation in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympics, Asian Youth Games, and Asian Beach Games has also been entrusted to TOPS.

The Training of Elite Athletes and Management Support Division (TEAMS), which also comes under Johal, will manage operations related to disciplines, other than those handled by TOPS, including Para, Winter and non-Olympic disciplines.

Johal is a former Olympian sailor.

The coordination for National Sports Awards, Republic Day, Rashtrapati Bhawan and Prime Minister Office functions, will also be handled by the TEAMS division.