The Union Sports Ministry’s flagship program — Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) — has approved ace India shuttlers Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who are ranked World No. 10 in men’s doubles, to rope in 2012 Olympic Games doubles finalist Mathias Boe of Denmark to train them in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
After the development, Shetty has expressed delight that the Mission Olympic Cell approved their idea on Friday.
Rankireddy and Shetty are currently ninth in the Race to Tokyo with 16 pairs eligible.
Meanwhile, Boe, who retired last year, will also help the other doubles team supported under TOPS — Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Ashwini Ponnappa and Ashwini Ponnappa-Sikki Reddy.
A former world number one in men’s doubles, Boe had won silver alongside Carsten Mogensen at the 2012 London Olympics, as well as the All-England Championships in 2011 and 2015.