New Delhi, May 27: Randhir Singh, veteran sports administrator and India’s first Asian Games shooting gold medallist, died here on Wednesday after battling age-related ailments, marking the end of a distinguished era in Indian sports administration.
He was 79 and had been hospitalised for several days before passing away at his residence in the national capital. He is survived by his wife Vinita and daughters Mahima, Sunaina and Rajeshwari, who is also a shooter.
Singh had recently stepped down as President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) due to health reasons, ending a sports administrative career spanning more than four decades.
He was elected OCA President for a four-year term in 2024 after previously serving as the body’s Secretary General from 1991 to 2015.
“With deep sorrow, we share the sad news of the passing of Raja Randhir Singh, who left for his heavenly abode today, on 27th May 2026,” National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) Secretary Rajiv Bhatia said in a statement.
Describing him as a distinguished Olympian, Arjuna Awardee and one of the most respected sports administrators in India and Asia, Bhatia said Singh made invaluable contributions to shooting sports and the Olympic movement.
Singh’s death prompted tributes from sports administrators and athletes across the country, who remembered his contribution to Indian sports and administration.
His sporting career included five Olympic appearances and a historic trap shooting gold medal at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, for which he received the Arjuna Award in 1979.
He was associated with the Olympics as a reserve shooter in Tokyo 1964 and later competed in Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984.
In his administrative career, Singh served as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1987 to 2010 and was associated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in various capacities between 2001 and 2014.
He also served as the IOC’s representative in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2003.
A descendant of former Patiala Maharaja and cricketer Bhupinder Singh, Randhir Singh was regarded as one of India’s most influential sports administrators and was widely respected for building consensus within the country’s sports structure.
His daughter Rajeshwari Singh has carried forward his shooting legacy, winning a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games and gold at the 2016 Asian Championships, while Sunaina Singh became IOA vice president in 2018. (Agencies)
