Top-ranked double trap shooter Ronjan Sodhi has got a lion's share of Rs 97.37 lakh from the Sports Ministry's Rs 6.85 crore financial assistance for 22 athletes, considered medal prospects in next year's London Olympics.
The assistance, from the National Sports Development Fund, is for customised training to the elite athletes, which would include extensive training abroad, engagement of personal coaches both foreign and Indian, competitions exposures abroad, scientific back-up in terms of sports psychologists, physiotherapists and masseurs.
While Sodhi has been sanctioned Rs 97.37 lakh, former shooting World Champion Manavjit Singh Sandhu has been given 91.95 lakh. Another marksman Mansher Singh has been sanctioned Rs 47.25 lakh.
Discus throwers -- Commonwealth Games gold medalist Krishna Poonia (Rs 24.20 lakh) and National record holder Vikas Gowda (Rs 24.51 lakh) -- and shot putter Om Prakash Karhana (Rs 48.10 lakh) have also been shortlisted among the 22 athletes under Operation Excellence 2012.
The Ministry has also sanctioned an amount of Rs 36.96 lakh each to six tennis players -- Sania Mirza, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri and Sanam Singh, while India's No.1 singles player Somdev Devvarman will get Rs 39.60 lakh.
For the Indian men's gymnastic players -- Ashish Kumar, Rakesh Patra, Alok Ranajan and Iqrar Hasan -- a collective amount of 56.83 lakh is sanctioned and for the women's team comprising of Dipa Karmarkar, B Aruna, Rucha Divekar, Roma Jogalekar and Meenakshi, Rs 33.08 lakh is given.
