Navi Mumbai: The intervention of the Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports has been sought by a Kharghar based international table tennis player.
In a letter addressed to the Minister Raksha Khadse, Sandeep Ghosh, father and personal coach of international table tennis star Swastika Ghosh, has made an urgent appeal after his daughter was recently dropped from the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
Her father informed that Swastika, a Shiv Chhatrapati Award (2023–24) and India's current No. 3 ranked woman player, has achieved a remarkable rise in the global rankings — from World No. 538 in January 2022 to No. 104 in June 2025. Last month, she reached a personal best of World Rank 103.
In the official representation, Sandeep Ghosh highlighted that this meteoric rise was made possible due to the structured support and critical financial assistance provided by the TOPS scheme over the last two years.
“TOPS gave her wings. When she joined the scheme, her world rank was 538. Now she is among the top 105 globally — that too without any backing from a private foundation or a government job,” he stated.
The father emphasized the dire consequences of withdrawing support at this crucial stage in her career. “Without continued help from TOPS, her current momentum will be lost. Her ability to participate in international tournaments will be impacted, and her ranking could drop sharply,” he said.
According to the details from the communication sent to the Ministry: “This progress is not just a testament to her talent but also to the invaluable support provided by TOPS. Swastika has no other backing from any foundation, and she is yet to secure a government job. The financial assistance and resources provided by TOPS have been critical in sustaining her training and performance. Without this support, not only will her current progress be jeopardized, but her rankings in international tournaments are likely to drop significantly.”
Swastika is a six-time national champion, has been representing India since 2014, and has played in two World Championships. She also brought home numerous medals for Maharashtra over the last 14 years.
As her father and full-time coach, underscored the emotional and financial investment made by the family. “We have dedicated everything to her training. If TOPS support is withdrawn now, all that hard work — from both the athlete and the government side — may go in vain. It could derail the career of a player who has the potential to bring Olympic glory to India,” he said.
With just a year to go before the Paris 2026 cycle, he hopes the Ministry will step in and reinstate Swastika Ghosh into the TOPS scheme, so she can continue her upward journey and fulfill her Olympic dream.
