At a time when trap shooting was barely known in India, when the sport had little infrastructure, few takers, and almost no visibility, Randhir Singh was the man who first pulled the trigger and sparked a shooting revolution in the country. Long before Indian shooters began winning Olympic and world medals regularly, he showed that athletes from the country could compete with the best on the global stage.
Randhir Singh passed away on Wednesday due to age-related complications. He was 79. Tributes have been pouring in from across the sporting world for the legendary shooter and sports administrator, whose influence shaped generations of Indian marksmen, like Olympic medallists, Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang.
Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang took to Instagram to say that Singh was “the reason many of us [shooters] believed Indian sport could become something more”.
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra too said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of someone who contributed immensely to the Indian and global sport of shooting.
The National Rifle Association of India described him as a distinguished Olympian and administrator whose contribution to Indian shooting was invaluable.
For many Indian shooters who came after him, especially in Punjab, Randhir Singh became the first real example that success in the sport was possible.
While Gagan Narang and Abhinav Bindra were not trap shooters themselves, they emerged from the broader shooting ecosystem that pioneers like Singh helped build in India. The ecosystem later produced celebrated trap and double-trap shooters such as Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, both of whom carried Indian shooting to the world stage.
It was Singh’s rise from a young shooter in Patiala to a five-time Olympian and one of India’s most influential sports administrators that changed the course of Indian shooting forever.
Today, shooting is one of India’s most successful Olympic sports, regularly producing world champions, Olympic medallists, and Asian Games winners. The sport is popular across states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, with young shooters training in academies from a very early age. Northern India has especially built a strong ecosystem of ranges, coaches, government support, and private academies.
RANDHIR SINGH BELONGED TO THE ROYAL FAMILY OF PATIALA
Born on October 18, 1946, into Patiala’s Phulkian royal family, Randhir Singh grew up in a household that was extremely well-connected to sports. His grandfather was Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, known for promoting sports, while his father, Raja Bhalindra Singh, was a senior sports administrator and IOC member.
But despite the royal lineage, Singh built his own identity through discipline and consistency.
Privilege may have opened doors for Randhir Singh, but medals in trap shooting are earned the hard way. The sport demands sharp reflexes, balance, hand-eye coordination, both mental and physical discipline, and the ability to make split-second decisions under pressure. Targets in trap shooting disappear in a couple of seconds. Without skill and years of practice, the privilege doesn’t help.
He was introduced to shooting by his aunt, who was a national-level shooter herself. The talent showed early.
RANDHIR SINGH SHOT 25/25 SKEETS AT NATIONAL COMPETITION AS A TEENAGER
As a teenager in 1963, he scored a perfect 25 out of 25 in clay pigeon shooting at a national-level competition. A year later, at just 18, he was part of the winning trap team at the National Championships.
He defended the title again and later won his first individual national title in skeet shooting in 1967. Interestingly, Singh had once hoped to play cricket for India before shooting became his life’s calling.
What followed was a career that broke barriers for Indian shooting. Singh represented India at five Olympic Games between 1968 and 1984 in mixed trap, becoming only the second Indian shooter after Karni Singh to achieve the feat.
He did not return from the Olympics with medals, but Randhir Singh did what many first-generation Indian sportspersons of his era did. He showed up and competed against the world’s best, and proved that Indians belonged on the range.
For the athletes who came after him, that belief itself became a foundation.
Across four Asian Games, he won medals of every colour, but his defining moment came at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games, where he clinched gold in trap shooting, which was India’s first-ever Asian Games gold medal in shooting. The achievement earned him the Arjuna Award in 1979.
Even while serving as a sports administrator, Singh continued competing internationally, something rarely seen in Indian sport. His final major appearance came at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima.
His biggest contribution was the inspiration he gave to an entire generation. At a time when shooting lacked media attention, Singh’s success gave young athletes’ belief. Punjab, which later became a stronghold for Indian shooting, saw many youngsters take up the sport after watching his achievements.
Over the years, he became one of India’s most respected sports administrators, known for building consensus and supporting athletes across disciplines.
RANDHIR SINGH’S DAUGHTER CARRYING THE LEGACY FORWARD
The family’s shooting legacy continues through his daughter, Rajeshwari Kumari, also known as Ria Rajeshwari Kumari. Born in 1991 to Randhir Singh and his wife Vinita, she has emerged as one of India’s leading trap shooters.
Rajeshwari won gold in the team trap event at the 2016 Asian Championships in Abu Dhabi and later claimed silver in the women’s trap team event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She has also won several national titles, set qualification records, and secured an Olympic quota place after finishing fifth at the 2023 ISSF World Championship in Baku.
Away from shooting, she has balanced interests in fashion design and marketing, continuing the family’s long sporting tradition in a modern way.
With Randhir Singh’s passing, Indian shooting loses one of its pioneers. He belonged to an era when Indian shooters competed with little attention or support, yet still managed to leave a global mark.
– Ends
