CHANDIGARH, SEPT 30: Totally pained and disappointed with the performance of the Indian contingent at the Sydney Olympics, Padmashree `Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh advocated the need to hand over the sports management (training) to the Army. Stressing this step, the outspoken Indian Rome Olympic hero said, ``It will certainly bring discipline among the players. I am not saying the players are undisciplined. My view is that they will practice under a strict regime and will follow the instructions in toto. It will bring more dedication among the players and inspire them to achieve the cherished goal.''``Discipline through Danda is the need of the hour. Treat the players as your son-in-law but act as a butcher when it comes to training,'' said the legendary Milkha Singh.Elaborating on his scheme to allow the Army to man sports in the country, Milkha said, ``For each discipline, a willing Army official, not below the rank of a Brigadier, should be appointed. He should be given full powers, including financial. All coaches, administrative officials should be put under his direct charge. He should brook no interference from any quarter. He should also be involved in the selection of the players. All selected players should be put under his charge for eight years. In case, he fails to deliver the goods, he should be held responsible.''Milkha also stressed that governement should immediately convene a meeting of all sports associations including Indian Olympic Association to discuss the future course of action.However, Milkha was not averse to the idea of the foreign coaches. When asked why he is advocating the appointment of foreign coaches, Milkha justified it by saying ``in 40 years, we have not given the desired results. However, the most important thing is that the foreign coaches know the latest techniques and continue to update their knowledge. At the same time, some of our coaches are also dedicated and hard working. Renowned athletic coaches namely O M Nambiar, Illyas Babbar and Sriram should be involved in the training programme.''About the Army coaching centres, Milkha said, ``these should be a set up where the best facilities are available and climate is suitable for hard work. Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Patiala are some of the centres.''Asked whether he is still offering Rs two lakh to any athlete who breaks his record in one-lap race, Milkha said without any hesitation ``Yes, provided the record is recorded in a recognised international meet abroad. See Paramjit's timing in Sydney Olympics. He, in fact, most of the athletes were not near their best performance. Winning and losing comes later. First is the players should improve their performance when conditions are conducive, the packed stadium is egging the players. However, in our case, it is reverse. Their performance is down by meters (not centimeters) and seconds (not fraction of a second).''``I use to test myself once in every 15 days. That used to keep my fit all the times. What is off season? I fail to understand. Training and testing is a continuous process. An athlete cannot rest even for a while,'' said Milkha Singh.``The athletes lack determination and inspiration. They shirk from hard work. If any Indian sprinter sincerely follows my schedule which I used to do, I am sure he can win a medal in Olympics,'' said Milkha.When asked if he will accept any offer from the Government of India to shoulder the responsibility of training the Indian athletes, Milkha said ``No. Simply because my age will not permit me to take up the responsibility.''
