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The Sports Ministry has approved a comprehensive training plan for several elite Indian athletes in preparation for the upcoming Paris Olympics. The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has sanctioned proposals for Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, and a host of other athletes across various disciplines.Chopra, who made history as India's first track and field Olympic medalist in Tokyo, will embark on a 60-day training stint in Europe from May 29 to July 28. Accompanied by coach Klaus Bartonietz and physio Ishaan Marwaha, he will train at various venues across the continent. The financial assistance under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) will cover expenses such as airfare, accommodation, meals, medical insurance, and local transport.Vinesh Phogat, who will compete in the 50kg division in Paris, has received approval for the inclusion of strength and conditioning coach Wayne Patrick Lombard in her international training camp in Hungary from June 10 to 21. She will also participate in the United World Wrestling 2nd Ranking Series - Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial from June 6 to 9 in Budapest.Long jumper Shaili Singh's request to extend her training camp in Europe to June 23 has been granted. She will train in Lisbon, Paris, Athens, and Geneva under the guidance of coach Bobby George.Shotgun shooters Rajeshwari Kumari and Maheshwari Chauhan have been permitted to take their personal coaches to a training camp in Italy in June. Rajeshwari's coach David Kostelecky will accompany her from June 1 to 14, while Maheshwari's coach Riccardo Fillipelli will train her from May 31 to June 11.Badminton bronze medalist HS Prannoy has received financial assistance to engage trainer Rohan George Mathews on a full-time basis from June 20 to July 22 in Hyderabad. He will also utilize the services of a center that provides recovery products such as Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy and Red Light therapy.Other athletes who have received MOC approval include recurve archer Atanu Das, sailor Vishnu Sarvanan, and para powerlifter Ashok.The Sports Ministry's support for these athletes underscores its commitment to providing them with the necessary resources to excel on the international stage and bring glory to India at the Paris Olympics.

Shaili Singh, India's rising star in women's long jump, has been consistently ranked among the top three in the country. However, her struggles to surpass her personal best of 6.59m, set at the 2019 World Under-20 Championships, have raised concerns.At the recent Indian Grand Prix 1, Singh jumped 6.52m to secure the top spot. While this performance is commendable, it falls short of the Paris Olympics qualification mark of 6.86m. No Indian woman has ever achieved this distance.Singh's mentors, Anju Bobby George and Robert Bobby George, remain confident in her abilities. They believe she has the potential to not only qualify for her maiden Olympics but also consistently jump in the range of 6.80m."Qualifying by entry standard will be superb, but we are targeting the rankings route," said Robert.Anju believes Singh can come close to 6.86m during the qualification period. "All she needs are some minor technical adjustments. These things take time to become muscle memory, but Shaili can certainly break my national record," she said.Anju's national record of 6.83m has stood for 20 years, while Singh's best is 6.76m."I would back her among the current crop to break my record. If she does it at the Olympics, that'll be a wonderful story," Anju added.Singh's journey to the Paris Olympics will be a learning curve. India will also hope for strong performances from Hangzhou Asian Games silver medalist Ancy Sojan (PB 6.63) and Nayana James (PB 6.67m).Robert is ambitious about Singh's potential. "Our target is a top-eight finish, and even that will take a few perfect jumps from her," he said.To achieve this, Singh must consistently jump over 6.80m, which means 6.70m-plus jumps in training. "Usually, there's a 10cm increment from training to competitions because we give 3-4 days of recovery time before the events. As of now, she jumps 6-60-6.65m in training."Robert and Anju have identified key technical areas to work on, including adjusting her center of mass before take-off and improving her hip extension.Singh has faced challenges with injuries and illness. A lower-back injury sidelined her for nine months in 2022, and she took three months to recover from Covid-19 last year. A disappointing fifth-place finish at the Asian Games, where a bad landing led to a shoulder injury, further hindered her progress.Despite these setbacks, Singh remains determined to achieve her Olympic dream. With the support of her mentors and her own unwavering spirit, she has the potential to make history for Indian athletics.

The Indian Grand Prix 1 in Bengaluru's Sree Kanteerava Stadium marked the commencement of the domestic athletics season, but the performances fell short of expectations for athletes aiming to qualify for the Paris Olympics.Despite the lowkey performances, the season is still in its early stages, and athletes have five more AFI-sanctioned events to meet the June 30 deadline for Paris qualification. Among those hoping to improve their performances are jumpers Shaili Singh, Eldhose Paul, Praveen Chithravel, and Abdulla Aboobacker.Shaili Singh, the women's long jump hopeful, won in Bengaluru with an opening jump of 6.52m, but it fell short of the automatic qualification mark of 6.86m. She has struggled to find consistency at the senior level, despite flashes of brilliance.In the men's triple jump, Commonwealth Games champion Eldhose Paul and Asian Games bronze medalist Praveen Chithravel failed to breach the Paris qualifying mark of 17.22m. Chithravel, who has crossed 17m this year, remains India's best hope in the event.Other Indian athletes yet to qualify for Paris include javelin thrower Annu Rani and 100m hurdler Jyothi Yarraji. Rani, who won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games, has been training in Europe under the guidance of Werner Daniels. Yarraji, a serial national record breaker, is likely to qualify on rankings, as she is currently 18th on the 'Road to Paris' list.With the qualification clock ticking, Indian athletes will be looking to raise their performances in the upcoming events and secure their spots at the Paris Olympics.