THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Tanisha Crasto, Goa’s star badminton player, has been selected into the TOPS Olympic programme, launched by the government.
The ambitious Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) aims to groom the country’s best young talents for medal glory at the 2024 and 2028 Olympics.
Tanisha is among the select few 258 athletes shortlisted from 12 different sports disciplines, who will be part of the elite “Developmental Group” for the TOPS.The 17-year-old, who trains at SAI Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, has been making waves in National badminton circuit and rising very rapidly.
Tanisha is the current Junior National champion in Mixed (U-19) Doubles and Runner-up in U-19 Girls Doubles, and has won several other National and International titles which include triple Gold in South Asian Games in Kathmandu–Nepal 2019, Gold in Girls Doubles in Dubai Junior International 2019, Silver in Mixed Doubles in Pune Junior International 2019, and Gold in Girls Doubles in Bulgaria Junior International 2019 to name a few.
Her consistent performances have seen her regularly featuring into the Indian Badminton squads for major Junior International tournaments such as the Junior World Championships and the Asian Junior championships, over last three seasons.
Delighted with the news which broke out earlier Thursday, Tanisha – India’s young International sensation, said, “I was extremely thrilled to hear this news early in the morning.... that my dreams and goals right from the day I started playing badminton was playing the Olympics, topping the podium for my country and making my country and my parents proud....”
Tanisha, currently ranked number 19 in World Rankings in Junior Girls Doubles and 45 in Mixed Doubles, will be expected to resume her training in her Academy from October 1, when national training camps for junior athletes will resume as per the announced SAI guidelines. Tanisha is currently number two ranked in India in Junior U-19 Mixed as well as in Girls Doubles.
