Golf is one of seven sports which are on the shortlist to be added to the 2016 Games and is among the favourites to be elected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

 

Singh said: "Golf not being an Olympic sport we have not been getting any funding from the Government.

"Hopefully in October it does and I think what happens after that is the Government is going to allocate land in each and every city to have a public driving range so that a normal human being can go there and try a hand at it.

"That's when it's going to be really big in our country.

 

"It's the fastest-growing sport in our country, but it's the only way this game is going to get famous and close to cricket."
 

Singh is the son of Milkha Singh, the 1958 Commonwealth Games 400 metres champion who represented India in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics and was nicknamed the "Flying Sikh".

 

But India have struggled to make much impact on the Olympics since making their debut at Paris in 1900 and won a relatively modest 20 medals.

 

Jeev Milkha Singh hopes that the introduction of golf would lead to an upturn in the country's fortunes in the Olympics.

 

He said: "Our population is more than a billion and I'm sure there's going to be a lot of talent out there.
 

"I don't think there's a public driving range in our country and there's only one public golf course right now.

 

"Everything is private.
 

"I remember there were a lot of good players when I was growing up who just didn't take it up - they just went back to the parents' business."

 

Most of the top players, led by Tiger Woods, are backing golf's campaign to be added to the Olympic programme for the first time since St Louis in 1904.

 

The IOC's ruling Executive Board is due to make a decision in Berlin on August 13 on which two sports to recommend for introduction into the 2016 Games before a final choice is announced at the Session in Copenhagen in October.

 

The other sports hoping for election are baseball, karate, roller sports, rugby sevens, squash and softball.