New Delhi: Veteran Shooter Randhir Singh, a 1978 Asian Games gold medallist shooter and seasoned sports administrator, was voted unopposed as the first Indian president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at the continental body’s 44th General Assembly on Sunday.
Singh, who became the first Indian shooter to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1978, was the only applicant for the role.
He was voted OCA chief by dignitaries such as Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya and prominent sports leaders from all 45 Asian countries.
After a renowned shooting career spanning over two decades, Singh continued to serve in various roles across multiple athletic groups, including the Indian Olympic Association and the Indian Olympic Council.
The 77-year-old sports star is from Patiala, Punjab, and was born into a sporting family. His uncle, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, played Test cricket for India and was an IOC member. His father, Bhalindra Singh, a first-class cricketer, was also an IOC member from 1947 until 1992.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Delhi, Singh pursued a career in sport. After trying out numerous activities in his youth, including shooting, golf, swimming, squash, and cricket, he decided to pursue a career in shooting. From 1968 until 1984, he competed in five Olympics, becoming only the second Indian to do so.
He also competed in four Asian Games from 1978 to 1994, winning an individual gold medal in trap shooting in 1978, an individual bronze medal in trap event in 1982, and a team silver in 1986. He also participated in the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada.
Singh received the renowned Arjuna Award in 1979 and the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award for his remarkable sports career.
His venture into sports administration began during his athletic career. In 1987, he was chosen secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association, a position he retained until 2012. In 1987, he was appointed to the Sports Authority of India’s governing board, where he served until 2010. He also served as vice-chairman of Delhi’s Commonwealth Games organising committee in 2010.
He was appointed secretary-general of the OCA in 1991 and served until 2015 before becoming life vice president, a position he held until 2021 when he was chosen interim President of the body. Singh was appointed the Afro-Asian Games Council’s founding secretary general in 1998 and served until 2007.
Singh joined the ANOC Executive Council in 2002. He served as the IOC’s representative on the WADA Board from 2003 to 2005, after which he was appointed to the Finance and Administration Committee. He also served as the chair of the 2019 Asian Games coordination committee.
He was a member of the IOC from 2001 to 2014. During his time with the IOC, he served on several IOC commissions, including Olympic Games Study (2002-2003), Sport for All (2004-2013), Women and Sport (2006-2013), International Olympic Truce Foundation (2007), and Coordination for the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games Singapore (2010).
Singh received the OCA Award of Merit in 2005, the ANOC Merit Award in 2006, the Olympic Order of Silver in 2014, and an Honorary Doctorate in Literature in Sports Science from the Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Government of India.
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–IANS
Photo Credit: X/Olympic Council of Asia
