Randhir Singh
Singh in 2015
Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia
Assumed office
11 September 2021
Preceded bySheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah
10th Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association
In office
1987–2012
PresidentSivanthi Adithan

Suresh Kalmadi

(Acting) Vijay Kumar Malhotra
Preceded byRoshan Lal Anand
Succeeded byLalit Bhanot
Member of the International Olympic Committee
In office
2001–2014
Personal details
Born (1946-10-18) 18 October 1946
Patiala, Punjab Province, British India
SpouseVinita Singh
ChildrenMahima, Sunaina and Rajeshwari
ParentBhalindra Singh (father)
RelativesKhanna family (via marriage)
EducationYadvindra Public School
Alma materSt. Stephen's College, Delhi (BA)
Occupation
  • Sports administrator
  • sports shooter (former)

Randhir Singh (born 18 October 1946) is an Indian sports administrator and former sports shooter. Singh is one of India's most influential sports administrators and is noted for his wide-ranging international connections.[1][2][3] He has 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.[4] Singh began his sports administration career in 1984, while he was still competing as a shooter.[4]

Singh has been the Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) since 11 September 2021.[5] His other roles in international sports administration include being a member of the IOC from 2001 to 2014 and since 2014, he has been an honorary member of the IOC.[6] He had also served as the Secretary General of the OCA from 1991 to 2015.[6] In domestic sports administration, his roles have included being the Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1987 to 2012 and a member of the governing board of the Sports Authority of India from 1987 to 2010.[6] Singh was also crucial in bringing the 2010 Commonwealth Games to Delhi.[7]

Singh 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, which he did at the 1978 Asian Games.[8][9] He received the Arjuna Award in 1979 for his achievements in shooting.[6] Singh retired from his shooting career in 1994.[4]

Early life and education

Randhir Singh was born on 18 October 1946 in Patiala, Punjab Province, British India. He is the son of Bhalindra Singh, a younger son of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. Singh comes 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.[9][10][11] 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.[12]

Singh was educated at Yadvindra Public School in Patiala and graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi with a Bachelor of Arts in History.[6][13] Singh played cricket in school and college as a one-down batsman who also opened the bowling for his school and college teams.[14]

Shooting career

Singh was introduced to shooting by his aunt, who was a national-level shooter.[14] In 1963, while participating in a national competition in India, he shot 25 out of 25 clay pigeons in the first round.[14] Singh made his competitive senior shooting debut as an eighteen-year-old, when he was part of the winning trap shooting team at the Indian National Championships in 1964.[9] The team successfully defended the title in 1965, and Singh won his first national individual title in 1967 in skeet shooting.[9] He went on to win multiple titles at the national level in both skeet and trap shooting.[9]

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.[14] He became the first Indian shooter to win a gold medal in the Asian Games, which he did during the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand.[9] Singh received the Arjuna Award in 1979.[6] During the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi, Singh was part of the Indian team that won a silver medal.[9]

From 1968 to 1984, Singh competed at five Olympic Games in mixed trap.[8] 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.[15] 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.[4] Singh, who had been the Secretary General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) since 1991, became the first person to compete in the Asian Games while being an office bearer in a continental sports organisation.[4]

Sports administration career

Singh (centre) with IOC President Thomas Bach (left) and Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah (right), in 2017

Singh began his sports administration career in 1984, when he was elected to the IOA as a joint secretary.[4] He was elected to the IOC during the 112th IOC session in 2001, which was held in Moscow, Russia.[16] In the election, Singh received 101 votes, which was the highest amongst all the candidates.[17] He served as a member of the IOC from 2001 to 2014, and has been an honorary member of the IOC since 2014. Singh was an influential member of the IOC during his time as a full member of the organisation.[18]

Singh (left) with Timothy Fok (right), in 2017

Singh had served as the Secretary General of the IOA from 1987 to 2012 and was a member of the governing board of the Sports Authority of India from 1987 to 2010.[6] He was also a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency Foundation Board from 2003 to 2005 and is a member of the Executive Board of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) since 2002.[6][19]

Singh has served on the following commissions: Olympic Games Study from 2002 to 2003, Sport for All since 2004, Women and Sport since 2006, Coordination for the 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 and the Olympic Truce Foundation since 2007.[6] He was the Founder Secretary General of the Afro-Asian Games Council from 1998 to 2007 and helped lead the organization of the only Afro-Asian Games, which was held in Hyderabad in 2003.[20][21]

2010 Commonwealth Games

Singh was instrumental in bringing the 2010 Commonwealth Games to Delhi and was the Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee.[22][23][24] He was the only senior office bearer of the controversial Organizing Committee who had a clean image.[25][21] During the planning of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Singh and Suresh Kalmadi, President of the IOA at the time, clashed over the planning of the games.[26] Reportedly, the clashes had reach the extent where Manmohan Singh, then Prime Minister of India, had to be informed by the head of the Commonwealth Games, Mike Fennell.[26]

Olympic Council of Asia

Singh (right) in Riyadh with Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (centre) and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal Al Saud (left), in 2022

Singh served as the Secretary General of the OCA from 1991 to 2015 and Life Vice President of the OCA from 2015 to 2021.[6] In 2019, he was appointed by the General Assembly of the OCA as the chairman of the Coordination Committee of the 2022 Asian Games, which was held in Hangzhou, China.[27] Singh has been the Acting President of the OCA since 2021.[28]

Acting presidency (2021-present)

In September 2021, Singh was appointed as the Acting President of the OCA.[5] He was appointed as the Acting President of the OCA after Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah stepped aside as president following a guilty verdict against him by a Geneva Court in a forgery case.[28] In May 2022, after the OCA Executive Board meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, he stated that the 2022 Asian Games have been postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in China.[29] 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.[30]

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.[31] At the 2022 OCA General Assembly, Singh was one of the signatories that signed the contract to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, which will be held in Trojena, in NEOM, Saudi Arabia.[32] Also in October 2022, Singh spoke at the OCA's first-ever Gender Equity Seminar in Manama, Bahrain.[33]

Singh, as the Acting President of the OCA, attended the 11th Olympic Summit in December 2022, which was held in Lausanne, Switzerland.[34] During the summit, there was an intense debate regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions.[34][35] The IOC mentioned that it had not invited athletes from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of both countries as protective measures, due to concerns about interference from some governments that can decide which athletes participate in international competitions and concerns about guaranteeing the safety of athletes from the two countries, because of the Russo-Ukrainian war.[34][36] During the debate, Singh argued that the reasons for the protective measures do not exist in any longer in Asia.[34][36] He further argued that the OCA has offered to facilitate the participation of athletes from both countries in competitions within Asia that are under the OCA's authority, and at the same time, comply with the sanctions that are in place on Russia and Belarus due to the war.[34][35] The Olympic Summit unanimously agreed to further look into the OCA's proposal.[36]

Singh (left) with Prince Faisal bin Hussein (centre) and Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud (right), in 2022

In January 2023, the IOC agreed to the OCA's proposal and allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete in competitions organised by the OCA to potentially qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Paris.[37][38] The IOC also added that the athletes from both countries will compete as neutral athletes and will not represent their countries.[37] Singh stated that the athletes from both countries will not interfere with Asian athletes for medals from OCA organised competitions or for qualification places for the Olympics.[37] Singh also stated that the athletes from both countries will be awarded serperate medals from the Asian athletes and that the IOC will be implementing a separate quota system for Olympic qualifications for Russian and Belarusian athletes.[38]

However, the IOC's decision was criticised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[38] Zelenskyy also sent a letter to the leaders of various global governing bodies asking them to stop the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.[38] In July 2023, the OCA voted to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games under a neutral flag.[39] Singh stated that the athletes from the two countries will not interfere with other Asian Games athletes' medals or Olympic quotas for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[39]

Singh (left) and his wife Vinita (centre left) with Paramount leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping (centre right) and his wife, First Lady of the People's Republic of China Peng Liyuan (right), in 2023, in Hangzhou

On 8 July 2023, Singh was succeeded by Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al-Sabah as President of the OCA, who was elected to the position at the 42nd OCA General Assembly in Bangkok.[40] Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al-Sabah is the brother of Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah.[40] 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.[41] The IOC alleged that Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah had interfered and tampered with the election, and the IOC had therefore refused to recognise the electoral results.[41]

In September 2023, Singh traveled to Hangzhou for the 2022 Asian Games.[42][43] On 22 September 2023, he met with Paramount leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other senior Chinese politicians which included Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and Shen Yiqin, one day before the opening of the games.[44] On 23 September 2023, Singh addressed the crowd during the opening ceremony of the games at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Expo Center.[45] 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.[46][47]

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.[48] Singh continues in his position as the Acting President of the OCA until constitutional reforms are implemented and a new elective Congress is held.[48]

Awards

Personal life

Singh is married to Vinita Singh (née Khanna), who is a businesswoman.[49][50] Vinita is the eldest child and only daughter of business magnate, Vipin Khanna.[51][52][53] Singh has 3 daughters; Mahima, Sunaina and Rajeshwari.[54] Sunaina served as one of the vice-presidents of the IOA.[55] Rajeshwari Kumari is a sports shooter and fashion designer.[56][57] Rajeshwari is Singh's daughter through his second marriage, to Vinita.[50]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "We need top-class coaches to succeed at the Olympics: IOC secretary-general". India Today. 21 June 2004. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. ↑ Dwivedi, Sandeep (15 August 2010). "Games they play". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  3. ↑ Kannan, S (2013). "New IOC chief keen to take steps to bring India back into Olympic fold". India Today. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mackay, Duncan (8 November 2011). "Singh to retire as secretary general of IOA and OCA". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Singh appointed acting Olympic Council of Asia president". Reuters. 11 September 2021. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Raja Randhir SINGH - Indian Olympic Association, IOC Member since 2001". Olympics. 16 December 2021. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  7. ↑ Paul, Koushik (21 September 2022). "Jagmohan Dalmiya To Praful Patel, Meet India's Longest Serving Sports Administrators". Outlook. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Randhir Singh Biography and Olympic Results | Olympics at". Sports-reference.com. 18 October 1946. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Randhir Singh Profile - Indian Shooter Randhir Singh Biography - Information on Randhir Singh". ILoveIndia. 18 October 1946. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  10. ↑ "Indian Olympic Association". olympic.ind.in. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  11. ↑ Bobb, Dilip; Raina, Asoka (30 June 1982). "India set to stage country's most ambitious undertaking to date - IX Asiad". India Today. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "Big-game hunter". India Sports Tribune. The Tribune, Chandigarh. 8 October 2005. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  13. ↑ Service, Tribune News. "Time to cherish memories at YPS, Patiala". Tribuneindia News Service. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Swamy, V. Kumara (9 December 2012). "'We cannot leave the administration of sports in the hands of thugs'". Telegraph India. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "Shooting at the 1968 Ciudad de México Summer Games: Mixed Trap | Olympics at". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
  16. ↑ A Staff Reporter (17 July 2001). "Randhir Singh elected IOC member - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Sport". The Tribune. 16 July 2001. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Rawat, Rahul (9 December 2012). "Inside IOA's dirty war: Clean-up act by Randhir Singh, Jagdish Tytler that led to the suspension is a wake-up call for Indian sports". India Today. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  19. ↑ Vaidya, Jaideep. "Royal, cricketer, shooter, administrator, all in one: The story of Randhir Singh". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  20. ↑ Babushahi Bureau (4 March 2019). "Capt. Amarinder congratulates Randhir Singh on becoming Chairman Coordination Committee for 2022 Asian Games". Babushahi.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  21. 1 2 G.S, Vivek (5 December 2012). "Is Randhir Singh the man behind India's Olympic mess?". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  22. ↑ InsideSport Desk (5 March 2019). "2022 Asian Games: Randhir named coordination committee chairman". Inside Sport. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  23. ↑ Express News Service (25 February 2009). "Confident Games panel questions Parliament panel: Old report tabled?". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  24. ↑ "Executive Board". Delhi 2010 XIX Commonwealth Games. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  25. ↑ G.S, Vivek (15 December 2012). "Low after London High". India Today. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  26. 1 2 DNA Web Time. "Kalmadi, Randhir slug it out over Commonwealth Games". DNA India. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  27. ↑ Press Trust of India (4 March 2019). "Randhir Singh appointed coordination committee chairman of 2022 Asian Games". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  28. 1 2 PTI (11 September 2021). "Randhir Singh appointed OCA's acting president after Al-Sabah steps aside on forgery charges". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  29. ↑ Chakraborty, Amlan (6 May 2022). "Games Hangzhou Asian Games postponed until 2023 over COVID". Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  30. ↑ "OCA joins 30th anniversary celebrations of Uzbekistan NOC". Olympic Council of Asia. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  31. ↑ Burke, Patrick (3 October 2022). "Acting President Singh says OCA "back to normal" after COVID-19 pandemic". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  32. ↑ Fatima, Sakina (4 October 2022). "Saudi Arabia wins bid to host 2029 Asian Winter Games in TROJENA". The Siasat Daily. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  33. ↑ Berkeley, Geoff (30 October 2022). "IOC President Bach hails OCA for "leading by example" in gender equality". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 "Declaration of the 11th Olympic Summit". Olympics. 9 December 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  35. 1 2 Brown, Ana Luisa (9 December 2022). "Asia called for participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes". Prensa Latina. Archived from the original on 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  36. 1 2 3 Rowbottom, Mike (9 December 2022). "IOC Summit agrees to follow up OCA proposal to host Russia and Belarus athletes". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  37. 1 2 3 Vasavda, Mihir (28 January 2023). "Russia and Belarusian athletes at Asian Games: Asian athletes won't lose medals, quotas says OCA acting president Randhir Singh". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  38. 1 2 3 4 Berkeley, Geoff (30 January 2023). "Asian athletes will not lose Olympic spots if Russians compete at Hangzhou 2022". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  39. 1 2 Ewing, Lori; Lund, Tommy (8 July 2023). "OCA paves way for Russian, Belarusian athletes to compete at Asian Games". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  40. 1 2 Statesman News Service (8 July 2023). "Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Sabah elected Prex of Olympic Council Asia". The Statesman. Archived from the original on 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  41. 1 2 Chakraborty, Amlan (30 July 2023). "IOC asks Singh to continue as acting head of Olympic Council of Asia". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  42. ↑ PTI (20 September 2023). "Asian Games: OCA acting president Randhir Singh says India can win more medals than last edition". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  43. ↑ Kannan, S. (23 September 2023). "Asian Games: India ready to show its sporting prowess". MillenniumPost. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  44. ↑ Ming, Liu (22 September 2023). "Xi meets OCA acting president, expressing confidence in spectacular Hangzhou Asiad". China Daily. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  45. ↑ Palshikar, Prathamesh (23 September 2023). "Asian Games 2023 opening ceremony: Chinese technology, culture glow at Big Lotus". Olympics. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  46. ↑ TOI Sports Desk (8 October 2023). "Colourful closing ceremony brings curtains down on memorable Hangzhou Asian Games". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  47. ↑ Nalwala, Ali Asgar (8 October 2023). "Asian Games 2023 closing ceremony: Bye-bye Hangzhou, welcome Nagoya". Olympics. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  48. 1 2 Perelman, Rich (1 December 2023). "TSX REPORT: Milan Cortina 2026 sliding-sport soap opera continues; no Winter Games rotation; LA28 events list coming in 2025". The Sports Examiner. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  49. ↑ "Vinita Singh". The Company Check. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  50. 1 2 Dasgupta, Piyali (2013). "Raja Randhir Singh from the royal family of Patiala decks up to host their daughter's wedding". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  51. ↑ "Nagindra Khanna". The Times of India. 3 July 2012. Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  52. ↑ Mahapatra, Dhananjay (15 August 2007). "Barak deal kickback £7.3m". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  53. ↑ TNN (9 December 2006). "Arms dealer in fresh trouble over foreign funds". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  54. ↑ "'Anyone Dirtying the Streets Should be Fined Rs 5,000'". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  55. ↑ PTI (25 January 2014). "N Ramachandran to be next IOA president". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  56. ↑ PTI (4 March 2021). "Indian women's trap team settles for silver in ISSF World Cup". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  57. ↑ Khanna, Anshu (2 December 2021). "HANDCRAFTED AND HERITAGE DRIVEN: THIS LABEL FROM THE HOUSE OF PATIALA RECREATES GRANDEUR OF REGAL PUNJAB". The Daily Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
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