Raja Randhir Singh becomes third from family to head Asian body

Raja Randhir Singh was officially elected as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) today. The veteran sports administrator, who besides being a secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was also a long-term International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, was elected unopposed during the 44th General Assembly that was held at Bharat Mandapam here.

All 45 OCA member nations attended the meet, where amongst other things approval was given to include yoga as a demonstration sport in the programme for the 2026 Asian Games that will be held in Aichi and Nagoya in Japan

“Congratulations to all my team. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Asia is one family. Thank you all for all your support. We will try to carry on for long,” Singh said.

Singh is the third Indian — in fact the third from the family of Patiala royals — to become the head of the Asian body. His uncle Maharaja of Patiala Yadavindra Singh and father Raja Bhalinder Singh headed the body, which was then called the Asian Games Federation. Raja Bhalinder Singh was influential in getting India the hosting rights for the 1981 New Delhi Asian Games. Incidentally, the Asian Games Federation was renamed the OCA under Raja Bhalinder Singh’s lead.

Speaking to The Tribune, Singh, who began his long career in sports administration with the Delhi athletics body in 1983, said he was lucky as he came from a family that was known internationally.

“I had the benefit as my family was involved in sport. My family was very well known. My uncle (Yadavindra Singh) started the Asian Games. My father was the president of the Asian Games and now I have become the third from the family (to sit on the chair),” he said.

“Then I was lucky to represent in an Olympics sport (shooting). I won various medals that meant everyone felt that I wasn’t just a member of the royal family but was doing something on my own. Then I was in the IOA, which is very messy. If you can survive the Olympics committee then you have done well. Eventually, people recognise your contribution. It was not easy but it is doable,” the 77-year-old added.

The tenure of the new executive, which includes five vice-presidents for the five zones and five executive board members, will run till 2028. All the posts were uncontested. As per the election rules, a candidate required a majority of 50 per cent votes to win. Singh garnered 44 votes out of 45 with one abstention.

India to bid for 2030 Youth Olympics

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today said that India is set to bid for the 2030 Youth Olympics, a precursor to the country’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics. The 2030 Youth Olympics will be the fifth edition of the international event. India will fight against Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Thailand, Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to get the hosting rights for the 2030 Youth Olympics.

Yoga as demonstration sport in 2026 Asiad

Yoga was today included as a demonstration event at the 2026 Asian Games. New OCA chief Randhir Singh said yoga will need to make its impact in the Nagoya Games to be included as a medal event in the 2030 Asian Games.

No Games Village in 2026

In a first, the 2026 Asian Games to be staged in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, will not have a Games Village and the athletes will be accommodated in hotels and cruise ships instead. “We will not have the Games Village as the Games will be held in two prefectures. Instead we are trying our best to accommodate athletes and dignitaries in hotels and cruise ships,” former Japan Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu Takeda said. “We have arranged for cruise ships for 4,000 athletes and officials besides hotel rooms,” added Takeda, the vice-president of 2026 Asian Games.