Tintu likely to be in TOP Scheme in 2nd lot of beneficiaries

National record holder half miler Tintu Luka is likely to be included in the list of athletes who will get government support under the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme when the sports ministry announces the next lot of beneficiaries.

The Sports Ministry on Tuesday announced names of 45 sportspersons who will get government fund under the TOP scheme, with five of them from the track and field in the first list. The Sports Minister has said that 75 sporstpersons would be chosen for the scheme initially and another lot of names of 30 athletes will be announced soon.

Athletics Federation of India President Adille Sumariwalla had a meeting with the selection committee chaired by Anurag Thakur last week and it is learnt that the names of 14 more track and field athletes were cleared for the scheme.

“The 45 names announced on Tuesday was the first lot and the second lot of sportspersons will be announced soon. There were five athletes in the 45 but the second lot will have more track and field athletes,” a source in the know of the developments told PTI.

“The names of 12 relay runners and two more walkers have been cleared by the selection committee to be included under the TOP Scheme,” the source added.

Tintu has been part of the Indian women’s 4x400m relay team for some time as she has a very good timing in the first lap of her two-lap (800m) race.

She was part of the silver-winning team in the 2011 Asian Championships in Kobe in 2011, the gold-winning quartet in the 2013 Asian Championships in 2013 in Pune and the gold-winning team in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

The Indian women’s 4x400m relay team has dominated the Asian stage for some time as it won its fourth gold on the trot in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. India has been winning the event since the 2002 Busan Games.