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Gone are the days when Milkha Singh and T. C. Yohannan called the shots at the Asian level and made their mark at the Olympics. Even though the female lot has been doing better in Asian competitions, particularly the Kerala girls, the overall scene is that of a persistent stagnation in the standard.
One of the prominent reasons for the decline in the standards is the virtual withdrawal of Services from athletics. The Services with their rigorous regimen churned out quality distance runners and provided employment to budding athletes. The other major institutional body, the Railways, too have been showing a laidback attitude and as such high profile tournaments like inter-railway meets have suffered.
With other Olympic sports showing remarkable progress and producing world-class talents, athletics in India will have to come up with something special to restore lost glory.
