Mandaviya’s hands are full as new Sports Min

New Delhi, June 10

It is not Chirag Paswan as was speculated but Dr Mansukh Mandaviya who will be the new Youth Affairs and Sports Minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that took oath of office on Sunday.

As he takes over from Anurag Thakur, Mandaviya’s latest task would be to see that all Paris Olympics-bound athletes’ needs are fulfilled. With the Games only a little over a month away, some athletes are still in the race to earn a quota for it and it is important that their demands are met.

Importantly, Mandaviya has to safeguard women athletes’ and support staff interests in the aftermath of the wrestlers’ protest that rocked the ministry.

The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) has to be relooked at as the secretariat has lost its edge in terms of dropping non-performers from both elite and development players list. A lot of non-performers were kept under the scheme and were paid Rs 50,000 a month despite little or no performance.

Another important job at hand is the doping menace that is starting to flare up. As per the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) report, 125 Indian athletes tested positive for prohibited substances — the most in the world. Also, he will have to play the role of a peacemaker to reconcile the fractured relationships between the ministry and heads of various national sports federations.