'End Of An Era': Veteran Sports Administrator And Olympian Randhir Singh Passes Away At 79

Veteran sports administrator and shooter Randhir Singh died in New Delhi on Wednesday after an age-related illness. He was 79. India’s first shooting gold-medallist at the Asian Games, he recently stepped down as Olympic Council of Asia president due to health concerns.

Singh had been hospitalised for several days before he died at his residence. He is survived by his wife Vinita and daughters Mahima, Sunaina and Rajeshwari. His last rites will be held in Haridwar on Thursday afternoon, according to family information shared with officials.

Randhir Singh: Illustrious Shooting Career

Randhir Singh’s sporting career featured five Olympic appearances between 1964 and 1984. His biggest medal came at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, where he won trap gold. This performance made him India’s first shooting gold-medallist at the Asian Games and earned him the Arjuna Award in 1979.

He competed at Tokyo 1964 as reserve shooter, then at Mexico 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. Long before India’s later Olympic shooting success, he was among the country’s key trap shooters in the 1960s and 1970s, when facilities and attention were limited.

Abhinav Bindra led tributes, calling Singh a “true stalwart” of Indian and world sport. “He lived a life devoted to sport as an Olympian, as a sports administrator, and as someone who contributed immensely to Indian and World sport,” Bindra wrote on X, offering condolences to Singh’s family.

The Olympic Council of Asia described him as “a distinguished leader of the Olympic Movement” who advanced Olympic values across Asia. The OCA extended condolences to his family, colleagues and the wider Olympic community, noting that he dedicated his life to service of sport.

The National Rifle Association of India secretary Rajiv Bhatia called his death an “irreparable loss”. He highlighted Singh’s role as an Olympian, Arjuna Awardee and respected administrator in India, Asia and the International Olympic Committee. NRAI president Kalikesh Singh Deo termed it an “irreplaceable loss” for shooting and Olympic sport in India.

Cycling Federation of India secretary general Maninder Pal Singh praised him as a wonderful administrator and cherished friend. He said Singh’s leadership carried “a legacy of the highest distinction”. Swimming Federation of India CEO Virendra Nanavati remembered him as an able administrator, humanitarian and eminent international sports personality.

Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha said Singh’s passing was a personal loss. She called him “a dear friend and an extraordinary human” who helped take India to new sport heights in Asia and worldwide. Former IOA president Narinder Batra said Indian sport had lost “a true stalwart”.

IOA member I.D. Nanavati called the news “very very shocking” and remembered Singh as kind to everyone in sport. Boxing Federation of India vice-president Rajesh Bhandari said the sports fraternity had lost a visionary leader and guiding force. Several other senior administrators also expressed grief.

Former IOA secretary general Lalit Bhanot recalled entering administration with Singh in 1983 as Delhi Athletics president and secretary. Former Athletics Federation of India president Adille Sumariwalla remembered being his team-mate at the Moscow 1980 Olympics. He praised Singh’s legacy as both athlete and administrator.

Throughout his life, Singh stayed closely linked with the shooting community. He continued to support the sport’s growth and structure in India, offering guidance to younger officials and athletes. Administrators often cited his skill in building agreement within India’s frequently divided sports bodies.

Administrative Career Of Raandhir Singh

Singh’s administrative career stretched over four decades. He first entered the Indian Olympic Association in 1984 as joint secretary. In 1987, he became IOA secretary general and held the post until 2010, later continuing in IOA structures until 2012 through a long, sometimes turbulent, phase for Indian sport.

He was a full International Olympic Committee member from 2001 to 2014, later serving as an IOC honorary member. In 2003, his role widened when he became the IOC representative to the World Anti-Doping Agency for two years, adding anti-doping governance to his international work profile.

Within the Olympic Council of Asia, Singh served as secretary general from 1991 to 2015. He became acting OCA president in 2021 and was elected president for a four-year term in 2024, the first Indian to hold the post. He resigned earlier this year due to health issues.

The COVID-delayed 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou were held during his term as acting OCA chief. Earlier, in 2002, he joined the Executive Council of the Association of National Olympic Committees, representing the interests of National Olympic Committees at global level within the Olympic structure.

Singh also guided Indian sports politics through sensitive phases. As IOA secretary general, he navigated the controversy surrounding the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games without personal allegations of wrongdoing. Observers often contrasted his low-key conduct with that of former IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi during that difficult period.

His working relationship with Kalmadi was cited as an example of cooperation despite differences. Kalmadi drove political decisions, while Singh acted as institutional anchor, known for never overstepping his brief. International colleagues often viewed him as a steady voice from India in Olympic forums.

He strongly argued before the Sports Ministry that Indian administrators needed longer tenures than those set by the Sports Code. He believed steady leadership at home was vital before officials could gain influence within global bodies like the IOC, OCA and international federations, and thus strengthen India’s voice.

Singh felt that credibility abroad came only after many years leading national federations. He saw continuity as important for building trust in international sport politics. His views often went against public opinion, which favoured strict age and tenure caps for administrators in Indian sporting institutions.

Coming Through A Royal Lineage

Born into the Patiala royal family, Singh was the son of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh and a descendant of former Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, a cricketer. He grew up among cricket bats, polo mallets and shotguns, but built his own identity through shooting and later through sports administration and diplomacy.

His long friendship with former IOC president Thomas Bach underlined his position in Olympic circles. Peers described him as soft-spoken and calm, with quiet influence rather than loud presence. Many administrators said he understood Olympic structures and international sport diplomacy better than most Indian officials.

Singh’s sporting legacy continues in his family. Daughter Rajeshwari is a trap shooter who won silver at the 2022 Asian Games and gold at the 2016 Asian Championships. Daughter Sunaina entered sports administration, becoming IOA vice president in 2018 and serving on its international relations and education committee.

Administrators and athletes across federations said his death marked the end of an era in Indian and Asian sport. They highlighted his long service to shooting, the Olympic movement and governance, and recalled a leader who preferred quiet work over public attention while shaping sport policy.