New Delhi, May 27: Randhir Singh, one of India’s most influential sports administrators and an Olympian in shooting, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 79. He played a crucial role in shaping the Olympic movement in India and across Asia. Randhir Singh was the brother of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
Captain Amarinder Singh expressed his sorrow over Randhir Singh’s passing on X, stating, “I am saddened to inform you all that my brother, Raja Randhir Singh, has passed away. May Waheguru grant peace to the departed soul.”
Born on October 18, 1946, in Patiala, Randhir Singh hailed from a sports family. His uncle, Yadavindra Singh, played Test cricket for India, while his father, Raja Bhallindra Singh, was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1947 to 1992.
After completing his education at Yadavindra Public School in Patiala and earning a degree in History from St. Stephen’s College, Randhir Singh explored various sports, including golf, swimming, squash, and cricket. However, he gained international recognition in shooting, particularly in trap and skeet disciplines.
He represented India in five Olympic Games: the 1968 Mexico Olympics, the 1972 Munich Olympics, the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He also served as a reserve shooter at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Among his notable achievements as an athlete, Randhir Singh won a gold medal in individual trap shooting at the 1978 Asian Games, becoming the first Indian shooter to win gold in a continental event. He also secured a bronze medal in the individual category and a silver medal in the team event at the 1982 Asian Games.
In 1979, he was honored with the Arjuna Award and the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award.
Randhir Singh’s foray into sports administration began during his athletic career. He was appointed Honorary Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association in 1987, a position he held until 2012. He also became a member of the Governing Board of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in 1987, serving until 2010. Additionally, he was the Vice President of the organizing committee for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
In 1991, Randhir Singh was appointed Secretary-General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), a role he maintained until 2015. He was the founding Secretary-General of the Afro-Asian Games Council in 1998, serving until 2007. He became a member of the ANOC Executive Council in 2002 and was elected as an IOC representative on the WADA Board between 2003 and 2005. He also served on WADA’s Finance and Administration Committee starting in 2005 and chaired the Asian Games Coordination Committee in 2019.
Randhir Singh was a member of the IOC from 2001 to 2014. During his tenure, he contributed to several IOC commissions, including Olympic Games Studies (2002-2003), Sport for All (2004-2013), Women and Sport (2006-2013), and the International Olympic Truce Foundation (2007), as well as coordinating the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.
He received the OCA Award of Merit in 2005, the ANOC Merit Award in 2006, and the Olympic Order in 2014. Randhir Singh was the first Indian elected as OCA President for a four-year term until 2028. However, he stepped down earlier this year due to health concerns, after which Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani was elected as the new president.
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