Tennis champion and Mommy-to-be Sania Mirza is not a part of the sports ministry's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). In fact, five other wrestlers and two boxers are also excluded from the scheme, according to the latest list issued by Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Wednesday, TOI reported.
Sania's exclusion came after the ace player and her cricketer husband Shoaib Malik shared the good news of her pregnancy
Last month, the couple posted a message on their respective Instagram accounts announcing the the arrival of #BabyMirzaMalik.
With her and other players getting excluded, two track and field athletes -- A Dharun and Mohan Kumar -- were added in the list. The country is sending 192 sportspersons to the biggest podium of the world who will get funding from the government.
READ: Sania Mirza’s Career’s Greatest Achievements
"This list is dynamic & will be reviewed regularly," SAI DG Neelam Kapur tweeted:
The five wrestlers who are out of the list along with Mirza are Praveen Rana, Satyawart Kadian, Sumit, Lalita and Sarita. Boxers L Devendro Singh and S Sarjubala Devi also got the axe.
Also Read: Sania Mirza Inaugurates Tennis Court For Kids In Hyderabad
The TOP Scheme is being evaluated by the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), headed by the SAI Director General. According to the scheme, it will fund athletes on basis of the requirements and the Committee's recommendations. The Committee will also simultaneously review athletes' progress and performances. Based on the recommendation, athletes may be included, retained or excluded from the TOP Scheme.
Around 41 sportspersons from seven disciplines have been identified to get the funding till the Olympic Games.
READ: Is Sania Mirza’s Biopic On The Cards?
Also Read: Ace Against Odds: The Sania Mirza Story
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