India’s 21-gold campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has thrown up an interesting set of numbers: champions who reached the continental podium despite receiving relatively modest targeted financial assistance under the govt’s elite-athlete programmes.
Several Indian athletes secured podium finishes at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games despite receiving modest or no targeted financial support from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Archer Kumkum Mohod won three medals, including individual recurve gold, after receiving just Rs 50,000 in TOPS assistance. Fellow archers Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, Kushal Dalal, and Thirumuru Ganesh Maniratnam also claimed gold medals while receiving the same Rs 50,000 funding allocation.
The figures highlight a stark contrast with more heavily funded competitors, such as boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who received Rs 22.97 lakh. Additional medallists, including sailors Harshita Tomar and Shital Verma, as well as javelin thrower Yashvir Singh, medalled despite having no TOPS funding, relying instead on broader federation budgets.
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