India to target a top-10 finish at the 2028 Olympics, claims Kiren Rijiju

Even though India claimed a total of six medals in the 2012 London Olympics, the contingent followed up with a poor show in Rio, with P.V. Sindhu and Sakshi Malik saving the blushes by securing podium finishes. Indian sports minister Kiren Rijiju admitted that it really hurts to see India struggling to win medals at the Olympics, even though the ministry is trying its level best and has set a target to see them at the top 10 of the medals tally at the 2028 Olympics. They are set to launch a target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for junior athletes soon.

“Olympics is the biggest event on the planet. When India doesn’t win a medal or figure in the rankings, it really hurts. After becoming a sports minister, I set a target that by 2028 India must be in the top 10 and it is achievable. We are going to start a Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) junior besides the already existing TOPS senior. Govt will take full care of them in grooming so that they are ready by the time for 2024 Paris and 2028 Los Angeles," said Kiren Rijiju, as reported by Times Now.

At present, the training camps for Tokyo-bound athletes are stalled due to the Covid-19 outbreak, while the Games have also been pushed back by a year. While a few have already qualified for the showpiece event, qualification processes for many disciplines are pending and would commence once the situation comes back to normal.