NRAI President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo leads fraternity in mourning the demise of legendary Shooter and Sports Administrator Raja Randhir Singh

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President, Shri. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, today leads the Shooting fraternity in mourning the sad demise of legendary Shooter and India’s most respected Sports Administrator, Raja Randhir Singh. An Arjuna Awardee, he was 79 and passed away earlier today at his residence following prolonged illness.

Shri. Singh Deo said, “It is an irreplaceable loss, not only for the sport of Shooting, but for the entire Olympic sporting fraternity in India, of which Raja Randhir Singh ji was the biggest promoter and supporter. His record as an international Shooter representing India speaks for itself. As a Sports Administrator, Raja Randhir Singh ji was a visionary and worked tirelessly for the development and growth of the Indian and Asian Olympic movements. The exposure, training and facilities that the Indian athletes are getting today, owe a lot to Raja Randhir Singh’s contributions over the past four decades. On behalf of the entire NRAI family, I extend my deepest condolences to his grieving family.”

Raja Randhir Singh, competed in as many as five Olympic Games and was the first Indian shooter to win gold at the Asian Games, when he won the men’s Trap gold at the 1978 Bangkok Asiad.

As India’s only representative at the International Olympic Council (IOC) from 2001-2014 and an Honorary member ever since, Raja Randhir Singh was instrumental in getting top sporting events to India, including the Afro-Asian Games in 2003 and the Commonweatlh Games in 2010.

Sharing his thoughts on Raja Randhir Singh’s demise, Shri. Pawankumar Singh, Secretary General, NRAI, said, “He was like a father figure to all of us in sports administration. Till he was able, he would be just a call away for all of us and motivated us towards solutions to the most difficult of problems. His energy and positivity towards Indian sports will be sorely missed. It is a very big loss for the nation and the sporting community in particular. May God give his family the strength to overcome this loss. The Shooting fraternity is in shock.”

Throughout his life, Raja Randhir Singh remained deeply connected with the Shooting fraternity and continued to support the growth and development of the sport in India. His guidance, encouragement and mentorship benefited generations of shooters, administrators and officials associated with the NRAI.

Among his last active engagements, Raja Randhir Singh, was present in Hangzhou, China, in 2023, for both the opening and closing of the 2022 Asian Games. He declared the 19th Asian Games closed in the presence of Chinese premier Li Qiang.