Financial aid to shuttlers under TOP Scheme

New Delhi: As part of its Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme, the Sports Ministry on Tuesday decided to provide financial assistance to the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad, where four shuttlers are currently training under the programme.

The four players are Parupalli Kashyap, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and RMV Gurusaidutt.

A little over Rs 28 lakh has been earmarked to cater to expenses incurred on gym equipment, Rs 40,000 per month will be spent on one physiotherapist while Rs 20,000 will be used on a masseur.

The financial assistance from National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), approved under this sanction, is out of the contribution made by the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, to the TOP scheme under the NSDF.

The Sports Ministry said in a release: "The amount sanctioned should be utilised only for the purpose for which it is sanctioned and unspent balance, if any, shall be refunded immediately after procurement of the equipments.

"The facilities proposed to be acquired out of the financial assistance should be made available to the four badminton players for optimum use as part of their training. There is no objection to the academy extending these facilities to other trainees when these are not put in use by the four players selected under TOP Scheme."

It further stated, "While the equipments will presently be in the custody of the academy for use, the ownership of these equipments will be with SAI. Academy shall provide necessary documents to SAI for the purpose."

A MoU will be signed between the academy and SAI for use of the equipment apart from the use by the four players under TOP Scheme.