2024 was not the best year for Olympic sports in this country. There have been controversies, numerous lawsuits against national sports federations for violating the 2011 Sports Code, and unrelenting infighting within the Indian Olympic Association, with the Paris Olympics in particular marked by more heartbreak than jubilation on the field. There were more.
But 2025 began with a promise. The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), the organization set up to support athletes selected for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), was reunited this year as expected. The Ministry of Sports is joined by most of the key private actors who have supported athletes with supplemental needs.
Apart from Olympic Gold Quest, the MOC currently has members from Reliance Sports Foundation, JSW Sports, Petroleum Sports Promotion Committee and Railway Sports Promotion Committee, which is the largest employer of athletes.
This ensures at least some type of equal participation, rather than one or two selected boards from other boards or private organizations.
