Financial assistance approved for training of table tennis and judo players with Bajrang Punia

There are now just four months remaining till the Olympic Games in Paris. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is providing huge assistance to Indian sportsmen as they prepare hard to compete in these games. During its 128th meeting on Tuesday, the Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) approved the idea to provide funding for the training of judo and table tennis players in addition to seasoned wrestler Bajrang Punia.

The MOC approved the proposal to retain the services of Qazi Kiran Mustafa Hasan, his strength and conditioning specialist, until the end of May 2024, when the final selection trials for the Paris Olympics will take place, in addition to giving financial support to controversial wrestler Bajrang Punia. Bajrang, who won the bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, however, had to face defeat in the recent national trials.

The proposal for financial assistance for the training of 25-year-old table tennis player Sreeja Akula, who recently won the women's singles title of the WTT Feeder Beirut tournament, has been approved. Sreeja will train with her coach Liu Jun-Lin in Taipei for 12 days. She will also practice against different paddlers at the club during her stay.