Considering the track record and limited facilities, Indian athletes have done a good job at the recently concluded Athens Olympics, Union Sports Minister Sunil Dutt said on Friday.
"Taking into account the track record, the performance this time is better and we have won a silver medal," Dutt told reporters in Coimbatore.
Lauding the performance of silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, long jumper Anju Bobby George and heptathlete JJ Shobha, the minister said, "You know, with the facilities we have, our contingent has done a good job, that too in a global level competition."
Referring to China, Dutt said it had spent nearly 1.2 billion dollars to upgrade the infrastructure in the country.
When asked whether the ministry has any plan to promote sports in India, Dutt said, "the government has to think about it and take a decision.
"If we want to produce a good athlete, we have to provide them with good job, who in turn had to forego academic qualification and decide about future in sports", he said.
On the performance of the Indian hockey team in Athens, Dutt said he had watched the India-Holland match at Olympics, where Indians were nowhere near to the speed of their rivals.
{{/usCountry}}On the performance of the Indian hockey team in Athens, Dutt said he had watched the India-Holland match at Olympics, where Indians were nowhere near to the speed of their rivals.
{{/usCountry}}On the doping controversy involving weightlifters Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Kumari, the minister said he did not agree with reports appearing in some section of the media.
"I feel most of them are not correct," Dutt said.