‘Our vision is to be among the top 10 on the medals table in Los Angeles in 2028,‘ says Anurag Thakur

TOPS was launched in 2014. How would you evaluate its success? Where lies the scope for improvement? Are our victories at international competitions over the past few years also a result of TOPS?

The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) has been a rousing success without doubt. It has made the life of hundreds of athletes simpler, providing them additional support and leaving no gaps in their training and preparation for major international championships, including the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. To say that TOPS is the sole reason for victories across different disciplines would be to take away from their effort and that of their coaches and support staff. But it can be said without fear of contradiction that support for athletes through the Annual Calendar of Training and Competition as well as by way of customised support through TOPS has gone a long way in helping our athletes be on top of their game by being prepared physically and mentally.

What are the expectations from Indian athletes in the Paris Games? What are the factors that truly go into making world-class athletes? Are we there yet?

The expectations are that India will compete in more disciplines and have more competitors than ever before in the Olympic Games. The expectations are also that each of our athletes will be best prepared and in great physical and mental shape to compete hard and give their best on the highest platform. The government’s vision is to be among the top 10 on the medals table in Los Angeles in 2028. Better performance in Paris 2024 than in Tokyo 2020 will only indicate that the support system has done the best it could to field the most competitive athletes, eager to deliver their best performances to inspire the next generation of sportspersons. Besides talent, the quality of preparation—smart and right workloads in training and competitions—go to make world-class athletes. The government has left no stone unturned to assist more athletes in more disciplines in their endeavour to be world-class.

How would you evaluate the Khelo India Games? Do you feel it has provided a platform for young talent to get noticed?

Of course, the Khelo India Youth Games and the Khelo India University Games have been great platforms for the nation’s sporting talent to showcase its prowess in a widely broadcast multi-disciplinary competition. By all accounts, the Khelo India Games is making the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi come alive by providing sportspersons a great platform to showcase their talent.

Every elite athlete interviewed by Open has mentioned how government support, either monetary or infrastructure-related, has freed them of constraints, allowing them to focus on their game. What is the effort required at a policy level to overhaul an entire system and ensure athletes get what they need?

The ministry is happy with the effort while it is aware that with a bit more effort and some luck, India would have finished with a better haul than seven medals at the Tokyo Olympics last year. The two most important things needed to upgrade the Indian sport ecosystem to be able to deliver better performances in international competitions are strong, visionary leadership across the board, and an unconditional buy-in by all of Team India’s key stakeholders like the athletes, their respective National Sports Federations and the coaching and support staff.

Be it boxing, wrestling or weightlifting, nearly all the talent in India winning medals comes from the grassroots. Most athletes have a story of hardship they overcame to become medal winners. What encourages children from humble backgrounds, especially girls from conservative families, to turn to sport? How can more talent be identified at the district level?

More and more Indians have realised that sport is a way of life and can help fuel the journey from dreams to actualisation. The widespread coverage on broadcast media has enabled more Indian families to recognise sport as a career option. There have been many breakthroughs achieved by our sportspersons, especially female athletes, that sparked dreams in many other younger athletes and their parents. The government has played a huge role in providing ample support for athletes in their evolution from playground to podium. While sport is a state subject, Centrally funded schemes have enhanced the infrastructure. Since clubs, schools and colleges in each district are the nurseries, it is imperative that state governments chip in with their efforts to popularise Olympic sport so that India has a wider talent base to choose from.

Anurag ThakurathletesIndianLos AngelesOlympic Gamessports