Hima Das gets TOPS assistance till Tokyo Olympics

Hima Das
Hima Das scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships. AFP

New Delhi: Indian athletics' newest sensation Hima Das will be provided "end-to-end" support towards her preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics under the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

Hima scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships as she clinched the top spot in the women's 400m final race in Tampere, Finland on Thursday.

"Hima, post her excellent performance at CWG 2018, where she ran her then personal best of 51.32, was inducted in ministry's TOPS in May, 2018.

"Under the scheme, in addition to the Rs 50,000 per month as Out of Pocket Allowance (OPA), she would be provided end-to-end support towards her Olympic preparation by the government under the scheme," said Sports India (erstwhile SAI) D G Neelam Kapur.

The 18-year-old from a village in Nagaon district of Assam, a pre-tournament favourite, clocked 51.46s to win the gold.

As per an earlier list, Hima was supposed to be funded by the government only until the upcoming 2018 Asian Games.

The beneficiaries under the TOPS will be reviewed after the Asian Games and the administrative mechanism of the programme will be completely overhauled, SAI had said earlier.

Read more Sports News

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.