Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh who infamously lost the Rome Olympics says tapping into rural talent can lead the country to excellence in athletics.
"If you look at history of a0athletics in the country almost all champions have hailed from the villages. Top Asian champions as well as the ones who have reached the Olympics have a rural background. Athletics talent is more prominent in the villages than in the urban areas because the main factor determining the difference is hard work which is an integral part of an athlete's training,"Singh told PTI in an interview.
Hailed as the 'Flying Sikh' for his legendary prowess on the track field, Singh says he used to run barefoot daily on hot sand to school, which was situated 20 kms from his house.
"Today you cannot expect this from kids from the urban areas. I am not saying urban kids can't do it but hard work has to be done by them," says Singh whose life story has been published recently in a new book.
India owes its first ever gold in athletics at the Commonwealth Games to Milkha Singh who still regrets his loss at the 400-metre event at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Singh feels that early identification of talented individuals is also important for India's athletic teams to shine.
