Srikanth, Sindhu among those approved by SAI for TOPS scheme

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has approved the names of 23 athletes, including shuttlers PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth, from badminton, cycling, para-athletics and para-shooting fields, to be included in the flagship Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Paralympics and 2024 Olympics.Some athletes have been included in the developmental group for Olympic 2024, and a watchlist was also announced from among athletes competing in badminton, para-athletics, para-shooting, para-swimming and para-power lifting.Athletes who are in the watchlist will be considered for TOPS on the basis of their performance in the coming months.The Target Olympic Podium Scheme is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to provide assistance to India's top athletes.Players selected in the badminton category include Kidambi Srikanth (Men's Singles), Sameer Verma (Men's Singles), HS Prannoy (Men's Singles), PV Sindhu (Women's Singles), Saina Nehwal .