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Veteran sports administrator and former Asian Games shooting gold medallist Randhir Singh passed away at 79 after battling age-related health issues.
Raja Randhir Singh (X)
Randhir Singh, one of India’s most influential sports administrators and the country’s first shooting gold medallist at the Asian Games, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 79 after battling age-related ailments.
Singh had been hospitalised for several days before breathing his last at his residence. He is survived by his wife Vinita and daughters Mahima, Sunaina and Rajeshwari Kumari, who followed in his footsteps as a trap shooter.
A towering figure in Indian sport for decades, Singh recently stepped down as President of the Olympic Council of Asia due to health concerns. He had been elected to the role in 2024 after previously serving as the OCA’s Secretary General from 1991 to 2015.
“With deep sorrow, we share the sad news of the passing of Raja Randhir Singh,” said National Rifle Association of India secretary Rajiv Bhatia.
“A distinguished Olympian, Arjuna Awardee, and one of the most respected sports administrators in India, Asia, and the International Olympic Committee, Raja Randhir Singh made invaluable contributions to the development of shooting sports and the Olympic movement.”
Singh’s sporting legacy began long before his administrative success. He created history by winning India’s first Asian Games shooting gold medal in trap at the 1978 Bangkok Games, a feat that earned him the Arjuna Award in 1979.
He represented India at multiple Olympics, including appearances in Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984, while also being named a reserve shooter for Tokyo 1964.
Off the field, Singh became one of the most powerful voices in Indian sport administration. He served as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association from 1987 to 2010 and was associated with the International Olympic Committee in various roles between 2001 and 2014.
In 2003, he also represented the IOC at the World Anti-Doping Agency.
A descendant of the former Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh, Randhir Singh was admired for his ability to build consensus in India’s often fractured sporting ecosystem and played a major role in strengthening the Olympic movement in the country.
His contribution to Indian shooting continues through his daughter Rajeshwari, an accomplished trap shooter who won silver at the 2022 Asian Games and gold at the 2016 Asian Championships.
(with PTI inputs)
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