Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chairs 152nd MOC meeting to begin preparations for LA 2028 Olympics
New Delhi, January 7: Honourable Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the 152nd Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Tuesday in the presence of eminent sportspersons, administrators and coaches. The main agenda of the meeting was introduction of members for the newly-constituted MOC and planning for Los Angeles 2028 towards improving India’s medal tally at the Olympics. The Sports Minister emphasised on employing a 360-degree approach to improve the Indian sports ecosystem with consolidated efforts from National Sports Federations (NSFs), State governments, Corporate houses, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). “This is an important forum for me, many actions have already started as per ideas shared by all of you. Winning medals in the Olympics is not a one-year or 6 months job. It requires preparation well in advance. India’s sports infrastructure and funding is at par with the countries performing well at the Global stage. As you are aware, our Prime Minister is fully invested in the idea of making India a sports superpower. So, we have to hold each other’s hands and all stakeholders have to contribute to take the country forward,” Dr Mandaviya said during the two-hour meeting. Olympic medallist Gagan Narang, Pullela Gopichand (Vice-president, Badminton Association of India), Viren Rasquinha (Olympic Gold Quest), Aparna Popat, Dronacharya awardee para coach Dr Satyapal Singh, Arjuna awardee Prashanti Singh, Sports psychologist Gayatri Madkekar, Kamlesh Mehta (Secretary General, Table Tennis Federation of India), Cyrus Poncha (Secretary General, Squash Rackets Federation of India), Deepthi Bopaiah (GoSports Foundation), Siddharth Shanker (Reliance Foundation), Manisha Malhotra (JSW Sports), Gautam Vadehra (Joint Secretary, Petroleum Sports Promotion Board) and Prem Lochab (Railway Sports Promotion Board) attended the meeting along with officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Secretary (Sports), Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, welcomed the newly-constituted MOC members followed by a brief introduction of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and objective of the meeting by newly-appointed CEO Nachhatar Singh Johal. The key points discussed during the meeting were: 1. Formulation of a robust talent identification criteria of Development Group for Brisbane 20322. Developing short/medium/long term targets for athletes included in TOPS3. Monitoring preparedness and actual performance vis-à-vis short/medium/long term targets4. Approval of budgetary requirements for customised training of individuals and teams5. Identifying and availing services of High Performance Experts to meet training needs of athletes
Steve Smith Keen On Representing Australia At LA 2028 Olympics
With the inclusion of cricket in the LA Olympics 2028, cricketers have been buzzing to be a part of the mega event. One of such cricketers is Australia’s Steve Smith. In a recent interaction with the media Smith revealed his intentions to feature in the Los Angeles Olympics which is to be held in 2028. Smith seems to be ready to prepare himself and walk in the Road To LA28 as he states to play the T20 format for a longer period of time. “I could still be playing T20 cricket in four years, so you never know. It’s a format I can see myself playing probably for a lot longer than some of the others, especially with the franchise stuff around the world. I’ve signed on here for three years so it’s only another year after that. It would be cool to be part of an Olympics,” Smith said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t have any plans. I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer,” he added further. Steve Smith’s exclusion from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 came as a surprise to many, as Australia bowed out of the tournament in the Super 8 stage. Despite this setback, the Australian remains active in the Big Bash League, where he continues to represent the Sydney Sixers. Smith recently secured a three-year contract with the franchise, fueling his ambition to return to Australia’s T20I team ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles—a milestone event as cricket makes its Olympic debut. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
