"Shooting will become India's No.1 sport"- Raja Randhir Singh expresses pride in the nation's shooting talent
One of India's most celebrated shooter's Raja Randhir Singh, swelled with pride while talking about the progress of shooting as a sport in the country. The current Acting President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Singh, was in conversation with Sportskeeda on the sidelines of a recent event hosted by the OCA in Delhi.
Raja along with the legendary Karni Singh, were two highly renowned Indian shooters between the 1960s to 1990s. A five-time Olympian, Singh, feels India has made immense strides in shooting and that time is not far away when it will be the 'No.1 sport of India'.
"I said it years back that one day shooting will become the No.1 sport of India. I feel, that time has now come. Look at our performance at the Olympics and Paralympics. As a former Indian shooter, I feel such pride," said Singh.
A double-medalist from the 1982 Asian Games, Raja, also shared what another of India's ace shooter, Abhinav Bindra, feels about the country's shooting talent.
"Today when you ask Abhinav Bindra, he says it is more difficult to get into the Indian shooting team than to win a medal at an international event. Such is the talent in the country. India is going to clinch a lot more shooting medals in the near future, " he added.
"Asia's success on world stage is owed to our unity"- Raja Randhir Singh on the continent's growing presence in global sports
Raja Randhir Singh has also been one of India's most influential sports administrators. Having held the position of Acting President of the OCA since 2021, the 77-year-old, has been a witness to Asia's rise in world sports. Singh feels the success is all because of the unity that the continent shares. He said:
"Asia's success at events such as the Olympics is owed solely to our unity. Our continent is getting financially stronger by the day. Countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and India are all gaining much attention from the world given the improvement in performances."
An Honorary Member of the International Olympic Association, Singh, elaborated on the plans of OCA to introduce yoga as a sport at Asian Games. Raja Randhir Singh drew parallels with the emergence of cricket at the Asian Games.
"Asia will be the first continent to introduce yoga as a sport. By transforming it into a formative sport you are looking for mastery. It is likely to be included as a demonstrative sport at the 2026 Asian games. We take inspiration from how we brought cricket into the world of Asian Games." Singh concluded.