Restructuring at SAI, TOPS

With an eye on the 2024 and 2028 Olympics, the union sports ministry on Wednesday announced to restructure SAI’s workforce and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) secretariat.
Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur (File | PTI)
Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur (File | PTI)

CHENNAI: With an eye on the 2024 and 2028 Olympics, the union sports ministry on Wednesday announced to restructure SAI’s workforce and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) secretariat. The move aims at strengthening the support system of sportspersons. A decision in this regard was taken during the 55th governing body meeting of the Sports Authority of India. The meeting was chaired by the union minister of youth affairs and sports Anurag Singh Thakur.

“Our emphasis is on sports science and performance management and with the restructuring, SAI will hire around 300 more scientific staff including 138 high performance analysts, 23 high performance directors, 23 sports medicine doctors, 93 physiotherapists and 104 masseurs. Further posts have been created for 50 high performance coaches at the NCOEs for targeted performance at international events, especially the Olympics,” said Thakur on restructuring.

The proposed restructuring will also create positions for strength and conditioning experts, performance analysts, biomechanists, psychologists, video analysts, physiologists, thereby giving athletes a holistic training opportunity. It was also decided that a number of new departments, including sports development, partnerships, policy and learning, will be inducted into TOPS for a 360 approach towards providing personalised support to elite athletes. 

Acknowledging performances of athletes at the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the governing body also approved a proposal to give out-of-turn promotions to five SAI coaches, four of them current athletes. 

Among those promoted are hockey player Savita Punia, who has been promoted from assistant coach to coach, Indian women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal, who has been promoted from coach to senior coach, Piyush Dubey has also been promoted from coach to senior coach of the men’s hockey team.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com