Paris Olympics-bound Rohan Bopanna And Sriram Balaji To Compete In Two ATP Events

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has approved Tennis ace Rohan Bopanna's request for assistance for him and his men's doubles partner Sriram Balaji to compete in two ATP Tour events ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Bopanna and Balaji will travel to Hamburg and Umag with their coach and physiotherapist to participate in the ATP 500 events before heading to Paris. Currently, they are competing in Wimbledon 2024 with different partners.

Bopanna, who won the Australian Open title earlier this year, has already advanced to the second round with Australian partner Matthew Ebden, while Balaji will play on July 4 alongside Luke Johnson of Great Britain.

Support for Shooters

MOC also approved requests from shooters Rhythm Sangwan, Sarabjot Singh, Vijayveer Sidhu, and Anish Bhanwala for assistance towards expenses for personal coaches or trainers during the Olympic Training Camp in Volmerange and the Paris Olympic Games 2024 at Chateauroux. The Target Olympic Podium Scheme will cover their flight, board and lodging, visa, and local transport costs.

Skeet shooters Maheshwari Chauhan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka's requests for training with personal coaches Riccardo Fillipelli in Arrezo, Italy, and Ennio Falco at the Tiro A Volo Falco range in Capua, Italy were also approved by MOC.

Track and Field Athletes

During the meeting, MOC decided to extend assistance to Steeplechasers Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary as well as their coach Scott Simmons for training in St. Moritz, Switzerland for 24 days before the Olympic Games.

The Women's Relay 4x400m team's request for equipment procurement was also approved. Additionally, table tennis player Harmeet Desai's request for support training in Biberach, Germany, including various consumables and fees for support staff was sanctioned by MOC.

New Inductions into TOPS Core Group

The MOC inducted 400m Sprinter Kiran Pahal, High Jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare, and Shot Putter Abha Khatua into the TOPS Core group for the Paris Olympics Cycle.

This comprehensive support aims to ensure that Indian athletes receive optimal preparation ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The assistance covers a wide range of needs from training camps to personal coaching.