NRAI Names India Open Events After Jaspal Rana and Raja Randhir Singh

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Tuesday said the July India Open Competitions will be named after Jaspal Rana and Raja Randhir Singh, who died recently. One event will be the Jaspal Rana Memorial India Open Competition in Rifle/Pistol Events, and the other the Raja Randhir Singh Memorial India Open Competition in Shotgun Events.

The federation called them “two of the most influential figures in the history of Indian shooting and sports administration”. It said the decision reflects its commitment to honour their lives and legacies. NRAI President Kalikesh Singh Deo said the naming is a fitting tribute to their achievements and lasting influence.

Randhir, a veteran sports administrator and five-time Olympian, died on May 27 at the age of 79 after prolonged age-related illnesses. Rana died on June 12 at the age of 49 in a Delhi hospital due to cardiac complications. The NRAI said both men shaped the growth of shooting in India.

Rana was one of India’s best-known shooters and a pioneer in the sport. He won medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, and was once India’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete with 15 medals, including nine golds. His Asian Games gold in Hiroshima in 1994 marked a major point in his career.

Randhir was one of India’s most respected shotgun shooters and won India’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in shooting at the 1978 Bangkok Games. He later became a leading sports administrator in the global Olympic Movement and currently leads the Olympic Council of Asia as its president. The NRAI said the July events will bring together top shooters and emerging talent.