07-21-2004, 08:45 AM
Only Anju has a chance: Milkha Singh
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Predicting a dismal show from the Indian athletic contingent, 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh said on Wednesday that the apathy of the authorities and increasing drug abuse among athletes would be the key factors responsible for the "poor performance" in the Olympics.
"I don't think our players can bring back any medal. It will be hoping too much from them knowing well that the performance which they achieve back home, mainly by using performance enhancing drugs, is seldom duplicated in international events," the legendary athlete, who missed out on a bronze in the 400m at the 1960 Rome Olympics, said in Chandigarh.
Milkha believed that Indians stood no chance against the world's best in Athens next month except for long jumper Anju Bobby George, who won India's first medal in a World Athletics Championships in Paris last August.
"It is impossible to think that for the past four decades India has failed to produce medal winning athletes. It is high time that the government should look into this or stop sending teams abroad," Milkha said.
Expressing his dismay at the prevailing state of affairs, Milkha said: "The athletes are not only deceiving themselves but the country as a whole, which has high hopes from them. I have written to the Union Government and the Sports Ministry at least 20 times urging them to inquire into the fact why athletes who clock good timings back home are not able to duplicate it in the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games. But the authorities concerned never bothered."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Predicting a dismal show from the Indian athletic contingent, 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh said on Wednesday that the apathy of the authorities and increasing drug abuse among athletes would be the key factors responsible for the "poor performance" in the Olympics.
"I don't think our players can bring back any medal. It will be hoping too much from them knowing well that the performance which they achieve back home, mainly by using performance enhancing drugs, is seldom duplicated in international events," the legendary athlete, who missed out on a bronze in the 400m at the 1960 Rome Olympics, said in Chandigarh.
Milkha believed that Indians stood no chance against the world's best in Athens next month except for long jumper Anju Bobby George, who won India's first medal in a World Athletics Championships in Paris last August.
"It is impossible to think that for the past four decades India has failed to produce medal winning athletes. It is high time that the government should look into this or stop sending teams abroad," Milkha said.
Expressing his dismay at the prevailing state of affairs, Milkha said: "The athletes are not only deceiving themselves but the country as a whole, which has high hopes from them. I have written to the Union Government and the Sports Ministry at least 20 times urging them to inquire into the fact why athletes who clock good timings back home are not able to duplicate it in the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games. But the authorities concerned never bothered."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->