Randhir Singh

Randhir Singh (18 October 1946 – 27 May 2026) was a five time Indian Olympian and sports administrator. He was a sports shooter. He was a noted sports administrator in India serving as the secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association for 25 years from 1987 to 2012.

Singh held several positions in both Indian and international sports governing bodies, and also had a successful shooting career before retiring from the sport in 1994. His other roles in international sports administration included being a member of the IOC from 2001 to 2014; then from 2014, he was an honorary member of the IOC.

He was an Olympic-level trap and skeet shooter. His achievements during his shooting career include competing in five Olympic Games and becoming the first Indian shooter to win a gold medal in the Asian Games, at the 1978 Asian Games. Singh retired as a sports shooter in 1994.

Early life and education Randhir Singh was born in Patiala, Patiala State, India on 18 October 1946. He was the son of Bhalindra Singh, a younger son of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. Singh came from a family of influential sports administrators. His father, Bhalindra, was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1947 to 1992, President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1960 to 1975 and 1990 to 1984, and was crucial in bringing the 1982 Asian Games to Delhi. Singh's uncle, Yadavindra Singh, the last Maharaja of Patiala, played an important part in lobbying for and then organizing the first Asian Games, held in 1951, in Delhi.

Singh was educated at Yadvindra Public School in Patiala and graduated from St. Stephen's College with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Singh played cricket in school and college as a one-down batsman who also opened the bowling for his school and college teams.

Shooting career Singh was introduced to shooting by his aunt, who was a national-level shooter.

In his youth, Singh aspired to play cricket for the Indian national cricket team, however, he stopped playing cricket as his shooting career flourished and he started representing India in international shooting competitions. He was the second Indian, after Karni Singh, to compete at five Olympics. His best Olympic performance was 17th at the 1968 Olympics, two points behind Karni Singh and four points from bronze. He has also competed at four Asian Games, winning a medal of each color. His last international competition was the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan. In the election, Singh received 101 votes, which was the highest amongst all the candidates. He served as a member of the IOC from 2001 to 2014, and has been an honorary member of the IOC since 2014.

Singh served on the following commissions: Olympic Games Study from 2002 to 2003, Sport for All from 2004, Women and Sport from 2006, Coordination for the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 and the Olympic Truce Foundation from 2007.

2010 Commonwealth Games Singh was instrumental in bringing the 2010 Commonwealth Games to Delhi and was the Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee. He was the only senior office bearer of the controversial Organizing Committee who had a clean image. Reportedly, the clashes had reached the extent where Manmohan Singh, then-Prime Minister of India, had to be informed by the head of the Commonwealth Games, Mike Fennell.

In September 2021, Singh was appointed the Acting President of the OCA. In May 2022, after the OCA Executive Board meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, he stated that the 2022 Asian Games will be postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in China. During his trip to Uzbekistan, Singh met with senior Uzbek politicians, which included Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, at the Palace of International Forums for a celebration to mark the 30th anniversary of ANOC.

In October 2022, Singh in the OCA General Assembly meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, said that the state of the OCA has now normalised post the COVID-19 pandemic. At the 2022 OCA General Assembly, Singh was one of the signatories that signed the contract to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games held in Trojena, NEOM, Saudi Arabia. Also in October 2022, Singh spoke at the OCA's first-ever Gender Equity Seminar in Manama, Bahrain. At the 11th Olympic Summit in December 2022, Singh argued that restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes no longer applied in Asia and offered for the OCA to host them in regional events while upholding sanctions stemming from the Russo-Ukrainian war. The IOC later accepted this proposal, allowing both nations’ athletes to compete neutrally in OCA competitions to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, with separate medals and quotas. Despite criticism from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the OCA confirmed their neutral participation in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games under the same conditions.

On 8 July 2023, Singh was succeeded by Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al-Sabah, brother of Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, as President of the OCA, who was elected to the position at the 42nd OCA General Assembly in Bangkok. However, on 30 July 2023, the IOC sent a letter to Singh, in which the IOC asked him to continue as the Acting President of the OCA while they investigated the 2023 OCA presidential election. The IOC alleged that Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah had interfered and tampered with the election, and the IOC had therefore refused to recognise the electoral results. On 22 September 2023, he met with Chinese leader and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping, and other members of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party which included Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and State councillor Shen Yiqin, one day before the opening of the games. On 8 October 2023, Singh declared the 19th Asian Games closed in the presence of Chinese premier Li Qiang and other dignitaries during the closing ceremony.

In December 2023, the OCA's member NOCs ratified by a two-thirds majority to nullify the OCA presidential elections that took place in July 2023. Singh continued in his position as the Acting President of the OCA until constitutional reforms are implemented and a new elective Congress is held.

In July 2024, the OCA's Election Committee unanimously approved the election of Singh as the next President of the OCA. He was nominated by the NOC of India and supported by 27 OCA Member NOCs, as he was the sole eligible candidate nominated for the presidential election at the OCA General Assembly on 8 September 2024. On 8 September 2024, Singh was unanimously elected as the President of the OCA and became the first Indian to become president of the organisation.

Personal life and death Singh was married to Vinita Singh, the eldest child and only daughter of businessman Vipin Khanna. His first marriage was to Uma Kumari. Singh has 3 daughters; Mahima, Sunaina and Rajeshwari. Sunaina served as one of the vice-presidents of the IOA. Rajeshwari Kumari is an Olympic-level sports shooter and a fashion designer. Rajeshwari is Singh's daughter through his second marriage to Vinita.

Awards Arjuna Award: 1979 Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award: 1979 Merit Award from the OCA: 2005 Merit Award from the ANOC: 2006 Olympic Order, Silver: 2014 Honorary Doctorate of literature from Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Government of India