The shooter who put India on the global trap map inspired Olympians like Narang, Bindra

At a time when trap shooting was barely known in India, when the sport had little infrastructure, few players 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 started regularly winning Olympic and World medals, he showed that athletes from the country could compete with the best on the global stage.

Randhir Singh died on Wednesday due to age-related complications. He was 79 years old. Tributes poured in from across the sporting world for the legendary shooter and sports administrator, whose influence shaped generations of Indian shooters such as Olympic medalists Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang.

Olympic bronze medalist Gagan Narang said on Instagram that Singh was “the reason many of us (shooters) believed that Indian sport could become something more”.

Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra also said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of someone who had contributed immensely to the Indian and global shooting sport.

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 wider shooting ecosystem that pioneers like Singh helped build in India. The ecosystem later produced famous trap and double trap shooters like Manavjit Singh Sandhu and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, both of whom took 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 medalists and Asian Games winners. The sport is popular in states like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, with young shooters training in academies from an early age. North India has developed a particularly strong ecosystem of ranges, coaches, government support and private academies.

RANDHIR SINGH BELONGED TO THE ROYAL FAMILY OF PATIALS

Born on October 18, 1946 in 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 member of the IOC.

But despite his royal lineage, Singh built his own identity through discipline and consistency.

Privilege may have opened the door for Randhir Singh, but trap shooting medals are earned the hard way. This sport requires sharp reflexes, balance, hand-eye coordination, mental and physical discipline, and the ability to make split-second decisions under pressure. Trap shooting targets disappear within seconds. Without skill and years of experience, privilege won’t help.

He was introduced to shooting by his aunt who was herself a national level shooter. The talent showed early.

RANDHIR SINGH STANDS 25/25 SKETS AT NATIONAL COMPETITION AS STOP

As a teenager in 1963, he scored a perfect 25 out of 25 in clay pigeon shooting at a national competition. A year later, at just 18 years old, he was part of the winning trap team at the national championship.

He defended the title again and later won his first individual national skeet title in 1967. Interestingly, Singh once hoped to play cricket for India before shooting became his life’s mission.

What followed was a career that broke the barriers of Indian shooting. Singh represented India at five Olympics between 1968 and 1984 in the mixed trap, becoming only the second Indian shooter after Karni Singh to do so.

He didn’t come back from the Olympics with medals, but Randhir Singh did what many first-generation Indian athletes of his era did. He showed up and competed with the world’s best and proved that Indians belong on the range.

For the athletes who came after him, this belief itself became the foundation.

He won medals of all colors in four Asian Games, but his defining moment came at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games where he won gold in trap shooting, India’s first ever Asian Games gold medal in shooting. This achievement won him the Arjuna Award in 1979.

Even while serving as a sports administrator, Singh continued to compete internationally, something rarely seen in Indian sports. His last major appearance came in 1994 at the Asian Games in Hiroshima.

His greatest contribution was the inspiration he gave to an entire generation. At a time when shooting lacked media attention, Singh’s achievements gave young athletes confidence. Punjab, which later became the bastion of Indian shooting, saw many youngsters taking up the sport after watching his achievements.

Over the years, he has become one of India’s most respected sports administrators, known for building consensus and supporting athletes across disciplines.

Daughter of RANDHIR SINGH 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 became one of India’s leading trap shooters.

Rajeshwari won gold in the team trap at the 2016 Asian Championships in Abu Dhabi and later won silver in the women’s trap team event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. She also won several national titles, set qualifying records and secured an Olympic quota place after finishing fifth at the 2023 ISSF World Championships in Baku.

In addition to shooting, he has balanced interests in fashion design and marketing, continuing the family’s long sporting tradition in a modern way.

With the death of Randhir Singh, Indian shooting loses one of its pioneers. He belonged to an era when Indian shooters competed with little attention and support, yet managed to leave a global footprint.

– The end

Issued by:

Anand Singh

Published on:

27 May 2026 19:37 IST