India Targets Improvement in Tokyo

(ATR) India appears to be serious about improving its athletes’ performances at the next Summer Olympics.

An Olympic task force set up by the country’s sports ministry released an interim report calling for the creation of an Empowered Steering Committee (ESC) that "will be solely responsible for ensuring proper preparation" for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo. The committee will have financial independence.

The new position of High Performance Director (HPD) will be created. This person will work directly with the committee.

India, the second most populous country in the world with more than 1.3 billion people, sent a record 118 athletes to Rio de Janeiro but won only two medals, a silver and a bronze, at the 2016 Olympics. The results were a major disappointment after the country won a record six medals at London 2012 with a then-record 83 athletes participating.

Governance issues have plagued India and the Indian Olympic Association in recent years but a clear roadmap is in place to produce both short-term improvements for 2020 and long-term gains for 2024 and 2028.

The interim report concentrates only on 2020 and includes recommendations for regular workshops and a 24/7 helpline to educate athletes and coaches on doping.

Other key takeaways from the report include removing the salary cap for Indian coaches and staff and treating the Olympics and Paralympics equally.

The entire report can be found here.

Written by Gerard Farek

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