The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday mourned the death of veteran Indian sports administrator Randhir Singh, with the Olympic flag being flown at half-mast for three days at its headquarters here as a mark of respect.
IOC president Kirsty Coventry paid tribute to Singh for his “exceptional service to the Olympic Movement.”
Singh died at his New Delhi residence on Wednesday after battling age-related ailments, marking the end of an era in the country’s sporting landscape, on which he left a lasting impact through his varied roles.
He was 79 and had been hospitalised for several days before breathing his last. He is survived by his wife Vinita and three daughters, Mahima, Sunaina and Rajeshwari, who is also a shooter.
“The IOC is deeply saddened to learn of the death of IOC Honorary Member Raja Randhir Singh … His passing is a great loss to the Olympic Movement. As a mark of respect, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast for three days at Olympic House,” the IOC said in a statement, paying tribute to Singh, who died as an IOC honorary member.
He served as a full-time IOC member from 2001 to 2014 before being made an honorary member.
“Highly respected across the world, he was a five-time Olympian and one of the most influential figures in Asian sport, who dedicated his life to the development of the Olympic Movement in India, Asia and around the world. Through his extraordinary career, Raja Randhir Singh became a central figure in the growth of the Olympic Movement in India and Asia and a trusted voice within the global sporting community,” the IOC added.
Paying tribute to Singh, Coventry said: “As an Olympian, as an IOC member and as a leader of Asian sport, he served the Olympic Movement with exceptional loyalty, wisdom and generosity over many decades. He will be remembered not only for his remarkable service and leadership, but also for his warmth, friendship and lifelong dedication to sport.
“On behalf of the International Olympic Committee, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends and all those across the Olympic Movement who had the privilege of working with him,” she said.
The IOC noted his achievements as a trap and skeet shooter representing India at five editions of the Olympic Games, Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984, having also been a reserve shooter for Tokyo 1964.
“His sporting achievements included a gold medal in trap shooting at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok, making him India’s first Asian Games gold medallist in shooting, a landmark achievement that helped inspire generations of shooters and laid the foundation for India’s rise as a global force in the sport. He later won bronze individually and silver in the team event at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.
“Indicative of what would become a lifelong dedication to sport, he was appointed Secretary General of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) while still actively competing, becoming the first person to compete at the Asian Games (1994) while simultaneously holding office in a continental sports organisation.”
As an IOC full member and later an honorary member, Singh “contributed to numerous commissions and initiatives, including serving as the IOC representative on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Foundation Board from 2003 to 2005”.
“Singh also served as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association for nearly three decades and played a pivotal role in shaping Indian sport at both national and international levels. After serving as Secretary General of the OCA from 1991 to 2015, he became Acting President in 2021, guiding the organisation with steady leadership through a particularly challenging period. He was then elected President in 2024, the first Indian to hold the role,” the IOC stated.
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