New Delhi
As the 2025 sporting season draws to a close, several of India’s standout performers in shooting and boxing continue to wait for recognition under the government’s flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), raising questions over selection criteria and timing at a crucial preparatory phase.
The latest TOPS lists, updated after the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting on December 10, show notable omissions despite India’s strong international results this year. While the TOPS Core Group has expanded from 49 to 57 athletes and the Development Group from 112 to 130, some of the country’s most in-form competitors are missing from both.
Shooting, which delivered India three medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, appears most affected. Pistol shooters Suruchi Phogat and Samrat Rana — two of the biggest revelations of the season — are absent. Phogat, just 19, won three individual World Cup titles, a World Cup Final gold, and rose to world No.1 in September. Rana became the first Indian to win the 10m air pistol gold at the ISSF World Championships in Cairo and also claimed a mixed team silver. Neither features in the Core or Development Group.
Boxing has similar concerns. Women’s 48kg world champion Minakshi Hooda is not part of TOPS, while 57kg world champion Jaismine Lamboria remains in the Development Group despite multiple international titles. The TOPS Core Group in boxing continues to feature only Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, unchanged since April.
TOPS support includes a monthly stipend of ₹50,000 along with access to personal coaches, foreign exposure and equipment — assistance considered vital ahead of the Asian Games in Japan next September.
Despite Indian shooters winning seven medals in Olympic disciplines at the World Championships this year, several consistent performers remain overlooked, while others who have not represented India recently continue to receive support.
An MOC official said inclusions are based on performances over a six-month period and benchmark assessments, with pending cases to be discussed at the next meeting on January 14. Officials from the National Rifle Association of India, however, acknowledged that Suruchi and Samrat deserved inclusion, underlining the growing disquiet among athletes and parents over delays in support at a critical stage of Olympic preparation.
