What should the Indian government do to fix the sorry state of affairs in Indian sport, and give us world-class athletes?

With a population of over one billion, one would expect India to be a powerhouse in sports. However, except for cricket, one rarely finds India doing well in any other sport, a few isolated cases notwithstanding.

Even hockey, our national game, has turned out to be a national shame, with the Indian hockey team deciding to boycott the World Cup preparatory camp, alleging non-payment of dues. Team members said they were forced to take the step because sports federation Hockey India "did not care for them".

Before this, the Indian hockey team had failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics - a first in 80 years.

Barring cricketers, sportsmen in India have always received step-motherly treatment from the government. Instead of being put up in the best hotels like their cricketing counterparts, they live in the stadium itself, and instead of match fees, get a miserly amount per day as "expenses".

One of India's most talented players, Viren Rasquinha, even quit hockey to pursue a business degree, saying that he needed to achieve a better status in life.

Would we ever find the Indian cricketers in such a situation? What should the Indian government do to fix the sorry state of affairs in Indian sport, and give us world-class athletes?