Bengaluru:

The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include India’s women’s badminton doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa in the ambitious Target Olympics Podium (TOP) scheme under the National Sports Development Fund for providing necessary support to the potential medal winners for the Rio Olympics to be held in August 2016 in Brazil.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Siddaramaiah said, “Badminton is one of the disciplines identified under TOP Scheme.

The Indian shuttlers, including the doubles specialists, are among the top–ranked potential medal winners at the 2016 Olympics.

However, it is unfortunate that the top-ranked doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who won the Canada Open Women’s Doubles title recently, is not part of the TOP Scheme.

“On the basis of their recent form and their Badminton World Federation (BWF) Rankings, the doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa has the potential to earn medals at the Rio Olympics. Hence, I request you to direct the concerned to include Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa under the TOP scheme”.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao has also written a similar letter to the Prime Minister Modi requesting him to include both Gutta and Ponnappa in TOP scheme.

TRS MP from Nizamabad and KCR’s daughter K Kavitha has initiated the demand for inclusion of the doubles pair. Speaking to media, she said, “Jwala and Ashwini are capable of earning a medal for India at the Rio Olympics and I want the PM to personally intervene in this matter.”
Karnataka chief minister’s staff member KV Prabhakara said that Siddaramaiah is personally following it up with the Prime Minister.

Here’s the letter sent by the Karnataka CM to the Prime Minister’s Office:

source: http://www.ibnlive.com /IBN Live / Home> Sports / by IBN Live Sports / July 17th, 2015