Triple Jumper Arpinder Singh Questions Sports Ministry After Olympic Scheme Snub | Athletics News
Asian Games gold-winning triple jumper Arpinder Singh on Monday questioned sports ministry’s decision to drop him from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme on the basis of a performance review when no competition was conducted during the year due to COVID-19 pandemic. The 27-year-old Arpinder, who won a gold in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, was dropped from the TOPS core group while the likes of Neeraj Chopra, Tejinder Pal Singh Toor and Hima Das were retained after a “performance review”.
“I was surprised because how a performance review could have been done during this pandemic. There was no competition the whole year. Did they call for a trial to know that my performance has gone down? I don’t know the basis of this,” Arpinder told PTI from Amritsar.
“I train alone these days in Jalandhar. I have taken a short break and I am going back to Jalandhar in a day or two. As far as I know I am jumping the same distance as earlier during training. I am maintaining myself.”
He said the ministry’s decision “borders to harassment” and has “demoralised” him.
