February 12, 2026 03:09 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Bangladesh poll manifestos mirror India’s welfare schemes as BNP, Jamaat bet big on women, freebies | Drama ends: Pakistan makes U-turn on India boycott, to play T20 World Cup clash as per schedule | ‘Won’t allow any impediment in SIR’: Supreme Court pulls up Mamata govt over delay in sharing officers’ details | India-US trade deal: ‘Negotiations always two-way’, says Amul MD amid farmers’ concerns | Khamenei breaks 37-year-old ritual for first time amid escalating Iran-US tensions | India must push for energy independence amid global uncertainty: Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal | Kanpur horror: Lamborghini driven by businessman’s son rams vehicles, injures six | ‘Namaste Trump beat Howdy Modi’: Congress slams PM Over India-US trade deal | Historic India-US trade pact: Tariffs cut, $500B market opportunity unlocked! | Big call from RBI: Repo rate stays at 5.25%, neutral stance continues

Jwala slams govt over TOP scheme

| | Apr 03, 2015, at 03:40 am
New Delhi, Apr 2 (IBNS): Indian badminton player Jwala Gutta on Thursday slammed the Centre for omitting her and Ashwini Ponnappa's name from the Target Olympic Podium (TOP) scheme program,which is dedicated towards supporting atheletes for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In her Facebook page, Gutta wrote: "So I just read news about Ashwini and my names not being there in top scheme..the only support we had was of Govt of India..and now that also seems bleak..the players who are already having lot of corporate support are in the list..and Ash and me not considered..Dont know what more to be done..Kinda tired..kinda disappointed."

"And if we speak its called cribbing..and if we dont we will be just left out," she said.

"We have struggled so much to just play doubles even after the performance which was never expected..but continuously being discouraged like this by association and now the govt..how else r we suppose to motivate ourselves!!!
If want to talk about performance we r currently 18
Won 3 medals last year..now aiming to qualify for Olympics..which I know many people are not aware how difficult it is in doubles event but people who play badminton and people who are taking care of the administration of badminton very well know the importance of doubles event and to qualify...again and again we have only been ignored and if we talk about it is how much we crib," the badminton player said.

Ashwini has also expressed her disappointment over the issue.

She wrote on her Facebook page: "Extremely sad and disappointed to find out that Jwala and I don't figure in the Governments 'Top Scheme' program,which is dedicated towards supporting atheletes for the 2016 Rio Olympics."

She said: "Are we not worthy enough ? since we are doubles players ? We've done well for the country in the past with zero support ! Aren't we worthy to be apart of the Top Scheme???inspite of always being put down,I think we've still managed to perform really well.First the corporates are adviced to support just the singles players and now the government too??How is it that we are expected to perform miracles when we are put down time and again??!Extremely disappointed!!!!"
 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.