Randhir Singh set to be elected as first Indian president of OCA

Veteran sports administrator Randhir Singh is set to be elected as the first Indian president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) in the 44th General Assembly of the Asian body here on Sunday.

Randhir, a former Indian shooter, will be officially named OCA president in the presence of Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and top sports leaders from all 45 countries of Asia.

Randhir, 77, hails from Patiala in Punjab and belongs to a family of sportspersons.

His uncle, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, played Test cricket for India and was an IOC member. His father Bhalindra Singh, also a first-class cricketer, was an IOC Member between 1947 and 1992.

Randhir competed in four Asian Games, winning the trap gold in 1978, bronze in 1982 and a team silver 1986. He also competed at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada.

Randhir entered sports administration in 1987 when he was appointed the secretary-general of the Indian Olympic Association, a position he held till 2012.

He was also appointed as a member of the governing board of the Sports Authority of India in 1987, a position he held till 2010. He was also vice-chairman of the Organising Committee for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Randhir was appointed secretary-general of the OCA in 1991 and held the position till 2015, before taking up the role of life vice-president, which he held till 2021.

He was later appointed as the acting president of the body.

Randhir was also a member of the IOC between 2001 and 2014, after which he continued as the honourary member of the global body.

"I've been lucky in my life as my family has been involved in sport for a very long time. I'm the fourth generation. Sports started in my family during my great grandfather, Maharaja Rajinder Singh's time. It was cricket and polo then.

"So, now, it's my turn. It's been a long journey definitely... as a spectator, as a young boy with my father Raja Bhalindra Singh, then as a shooter and then as an administrator from 1984 onwards," he had said.

"I was lucky to be at the OCA for 33 years since 1991. And we set up what is now called the Olympic Council of Asia, which, out of all the five continents, is the strongest in sport." said Randhir.

Asked about India's dream of hosting the Olympic in 2036, Randhir said the OCA will have no role to play in it as the decision would be taken by the IOC.

OCA planning to reduce number of teams in Asian Games

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During the general assembly, the OCA also plans to introduce a criteria to reduce the number of teams competing in the Asian Games because of the ever-growing number of athletes.

The OCA wants to introduce a qualification process on the lines of the Olympics to reduce the burden on the continental showpiece. More than 15,000 athletes competed at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year with team competitions accounting for a major share of athletes.

In comparison, 10,500 athletes competed at the Paris Olympics.

The OCA will also likely pitch for the inclusion of yoga in the Asian Games during the general assembly.

"The OCA sports committee had a look at it (proposal to include Yoga as Asian Games discipline). They have approved it. Now the executive board of the Olympic Council (of Asia) has approved it. For any sport to be included in the Asian Games, the approval of the General Assembly is a must," OCA deputy director general Vinod Tiwari had said.

"That will be done on September 8 and hopefully it will be approved. And for the next edition of the Games (in Nagoya, Japan) probably it will be introduced as a demonstration sport. Once that is done, only after that it will be included in the Asian Games programme," added Tiwari.