New Delhi, Jul 18: Sports Ministry has now decided to include Jwala and Ashwini in the TOP scheme with a ministry official saying that their names will be part of the next list of athletes.
With the Sports Ministry set to include G. Jwala and Ashwini Ponnappa in the Target Olympics Podium (TOP) scheme, the shuttler from Hyderabad on Friday expressed happiness and said it would motivate them further and help plan their preparation for the Rio Olympics.
“I am happy that we are set to be included now. It will motivate us further and help us better plan our preparation for Olympics,” Jwala said.
“It’s unfortunate that we had to fight it out. Nobody wants it that way, I always believed that we deserved that place. There are 70 athletes being supported by the ministry and not to find a place in there was shocking, something we could not digest,” she added.
After being ignored initially, Sports Ministry has now decided to include Jwala and Ashwini in the TOP scheme with a ministry official saying that their names will be part of the next list of athletes.
Jwala said they were hurt after being ignored but they never depended on the scheme.
By far the best
“We are by far the best doubles players in the country and they just threw our bio-data out of the window. It hurt us. Not that we were depending on this scheme but we believed it was our right. If we would have depended on it then we would not have come up with performances at US and Canada Open,” she said.
“Now this financial support will help us. I am leaving for Bangalore camp next week,” said the 31-year-old, who will be playing in the prestigious World Championship next month along with Ashwini.Jwala and Ashwini won the 2011 World Championship bronze medal, besides winning the Commonwealth Games gold and silver medal in 2010 and 2014 respectively. They have also won the bronze medal at the Uber Cup and Asia Championship last year.
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