Chandigarh: Milkha Singh on Tuesday said apathy of concerned authorities and increasing menace of drug-abuse would be the key factors responsible for “poor performance” of the Indians in Athens.

“I don’t think our players can bring back any medal. It will be hoping too much from them knowing well that the performances which they achieve back home, mainly by using performance enhancing drugs, is seldom duplicated in international events,” the ‘Flying Sikh’ said.

“The coaches feel happy and secure if their players are performing well, no matter by whatever means they adopt. The performance of a player also helps him to get a good job and it seems the drive and passion to achieve something for the country ends there,” he said.

“I have written to the Union government and the sports ministry at least 20 times urging them to inquire into the fact why the players who clock good timings back home are not able to duplicate it in the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games,” he lamented.

Singh said that he had recently met union sports minister Sunil Dutt and told him that “we need to pull our socks and set things right. Otherwise, the crores of rupees we are pumping for upgrading and improving our sports infrastructure will go down the drain. I told him that we need to take things more seriously”.

(PTI)