Randhir Singh, who won India’s first-ever shooting gold at the Asian Games and later rose to become the first Indian President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), passed away on Wednesday. He was 79.

According to family members, Singh had been battling age-related health complications for some time. He had recently resigned from the OCA top post citing health reasons after being elected for a four-year term in 2024.

Trailblazer in Indian shooting

Singh etched his name in Indian sports history at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games when he clinched gold in the trap shooting event. This remained a landmark achievement for Indian shooting for years. He followed it up with a bronze medal at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and a silver in 1986.

A five-time Olympian, Singh represented the country at the Olympics between the 1970s and 1990s. He also competed in the 1978 Commonwealth Games. For his contributions, he was conferred the Arjuna Award in 1979.

Deep roots in sports and administration

Beyond the field, Singh played a significant role in sports governance. He served as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). His leadership extended to the continental level when he became the first Indian to head the Olympic Council of Asia.

Rajiv Bhatia, Secretary of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), expressed deep sorrow over the loss. “Randhir Singh was among the most respected personalities in sports administration. He made immense contributions to the development of shooting and the Olympic movement in the country,” Bhatia said.

Sporting family legacy

Singh hailed from a family with a rich sporting tradition. His uncle, Maharaja Yadvindra Singh, had played Test cricket for India and was also a member of the IOC. His father, Bhalindra Singh, was a first-class cricketer and served as an IOC member from 1947 to 1992.

The legacy continues in the next generation. Singh is survived by his wife Vinita and three daughters — Mahima, Sunaina, and Rajeshwari. Rajeshwari, a trap shooter herself, won a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games. Sunaina has served as Vice President of the IOA.

Family members recalled how Singh remained closely involved in supporting his daughter’s shooting career. A photograph from 2022 showing Rajeshwari with her father after her Asian Games medal win had been widely shared.

Tributes pour in

News of his passing triggered condolences from across the Indian sporting fraternity. Many remembered him not just as a champion shooter but as a bridge between athletes and administrators during crucial phases of Indian sport’s growth.

His tenure at the OCA was seen as a significant milestone for Indian representation in Asian Olympic affairs. Though his health forced him to step down earlier than expected, his election itself was celebrated as recognition of India’s growing stature in Olympic governance.

End of an era

With Singh’s demise, Indian shooting loses one of its foundational figures who helped lay the groundwork for the sport’s later successes, including the medals won by later generations of shooters at global events.

As tributes continue to flow in, the focus now shifts to honouring his contributions through memorials and continued development of shooting infrastructure, an area he passionately advocated for throughout his career.

Singh’s journey from a medal-winning athlete in the 1970s to a key figure in Olympic administration spanning over four decades mirrors the evolution of Indian sport itself — from sporadic successes to structured institutional growth.

MP's 13-Day Commercial LPG Crisis Ends as Government Issues Fresh Supply Orders

Hotels, dhabas, and street food vendors across Madhya Pradesh are set to receive commercial LPG cylinders from Tuesday after the state government issued emergency directives on Monday night.

Supply Resumes After 13 Days

Madhya Pradesh's commercial LPG supply, which had been stalled for nearly a fortnight, is on course to restart after the state government stepped in with a formal order late Monday. The directive, issued on March 23, covers hotels, restaurants, caterers, dhabas, and street food vendors — businesses that had been operating under severe strain since the supply lines went cold.

As per the order, hotels and restaurants will receive 9 percent of their commercial LPG quota, while dhabas and street food vendors are to be allotted 7 percent. Cylinders will also be made available to caterers and other commercial establishments in the food sector.

Over 50,000 Businesses Hit

The supply freeze affected more than 50,000 food outlets across the state, pushing several to the edge of closure. Operators were forced to make do with diesel furnaces and induction cooktops — workarounds that drove up costs and compromised service, with smaller dhabas and street vendors bearing the worst of it.

Menus were revised at several eateries as proprietors scrambled to manage with limited cooking options. For many, the disruption stretched into the busiest hours of the day, affecting both revenue and footfall.

Central Guidelines vs State-Level Delays

According to reports, the central government's revised policy allows for a 10 percent allocation of commercial cylinders. However, the absence of a clear distribution order at the state level created a vacuum that deepened the shortage over nearly two weeks. Officials have not publicly elaborated on why the directive took as long to arrive.

Associations Met Official a Day Before Order

Hotel and restaurant bodies in Madhya Pradesh had already escalated the matter before Monday's order came through. On Sunday, representatives of the hospitality sector met Rashmi Shami, Additional Chief Secretary of the Food and Civil Supplies Department, pressing for an immediate restoration of supply.

Sources indicated the government's directive followed directly from that meeting, suggesting official intervention came only after sustained pressure from trade associations.

Relief for Bhopal's Hotel Sector

Tejkulpal Singh Pali, president of the Bhopal Hotel and Restaurant Association, said the situation had reached a tipping point, with businesses on the verge of shutting down entirely due to the commercial gas supply restrictions. His remarks reflect the broader sentiment among hoteliers in the city, where around 2,000 establishments were affected.

Abhishek Baheti, a representative of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), described the supply crisis as severe, adding that the fresh government order would provide immediate relief to the trade.

Sector Impact and Operational Strain

The ripple effects of the supply disruption extended well beyond individual establishments. Street food vendors — among the most financially vulnerable in the food ecosystem — had limited capacity to pivot to alternative fuels. For many, induction-based cooking or diesel-run setups were either too expensive or impractical for open-air operations.

The episode has drawn attention to the need for tighter coordination between central policy updates and state-level supply chains, particularly in sectors where business continuity depends on uninterrupted LPG access.

What Comes Next

With supply expected to resume from Tuesday, stakeholders will be watching whether the allocated percentages — 9 percent for hotels and 7 percent for dhabas — are sufficient to clear the backlog and restore normal operations. Industry bodies have signalled they will continue to push for the full 10 percent entitlement outlined under central guidelines.

As per reports, authorities are expected to ensure uninterrupted commercial LPG supply going forward, though no formal assurance has yet been issued on preventing a recurrence of such disruptions.