Olympics
Randhir Singh set to become first Indian President of the Olympic Council of Asia
As the sole candidate, Randhir Singh’s presidency is poised to mark a historic milestone for Indian sports administration on the international stage.
Former international shooter and veteran sports administrator Randhir Singh is on track to become the first Indian president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). Singh, 77, has emerged as the sole candidate for the top post in the elections scheduled for September 8.
Currently serving as the acting chief of the OCA, Singh has a distinguished history in sports administration. He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
In an official statement, the OCA confirmed Singh’s candidacy: “The OCA election commission can confirm that OCA acting president Randhir Singh is the sole eligible candidate to be nominated for election at the OCA General Assembly on 8 September 2024.” The Election Committee, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Rohinton Nariman, reviewed the credentials and eligibility requirements as per the OCA Constitution, Election Rules, and Guidelines. Singh, nominated by the NOC of India and supported by 27 Member NOCs of OCA, received unanimous approval from the Committee.
The Mongolian Olympic Committee President, Battushig Batbold, was deemed ineligible by the Election Committee as he did not meet the eligibility requirements, which include serving as president of his NOC or as an OCA Executive Board member for at least eight years. Consequently, Batbold withdrew his candidature.
Singh’s appointment as the acting chief of the OCA came in September 2021 after Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah stepped down following a forgery conviction by a Geneva court. Singh previously served as the OCA Secretary General from 1991 to 2015 under Sheikh Ahmed’s leadership.
In July 2023, Sheikh Talal Al Fahad Al-Sabah, Sheikh Ahmed’s brother, was elected OCA president in Bangkok. However, the IOC did not recognize these elections, citing Sheikh Ahmed’s influence on the polls. Sheikh Ahmed was subsequently banned by the IOC for three years.
During Singh’s tenure, he successfully managed the postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games from 2022 to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rescheduled Games were a testament to his effective leadership.
Born in Patiala, Punjab, Singh is the son of Bhalindra Singh, a long-time IOC member and IOA president, and the grandson of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. As a shooter, Singh won multiple national titles in both skeet and trap events. He was the first Indian shooter to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, achieving this feat in 1978 in Bangkok. Competing in five Olympic Games from 1968 to 1984, he was the second Indian, after Karni Singh, to participate in five Olympics. Singh also won medals in four Asian Games.
Singh served as the Secretary General of the IOA from 1987 to 2012 and was the vice chairman of the organizing committee for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. He was an IOC member from 2001 to 2014 and has been an honorary member since then.
As the sole candidate, Randhir Singh’s presidency is poised to mark a historic milestone for Indian sports administration on the international stage.