Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo Takes Charge as NRAI President for Four-Year Term

Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo Elected NRAI President

Mohali (Punjab) [India], December 4: Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has officially commenced his first complete four-year term as the President of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). This announcement followed the conclusion of the NRAI office-bearer elections held on Thursday at the Park Plaza hotel in Mohali during a General Body meeting.

The elections were overseen by Justice Nirmaljit Kaur (Retd), who served as the Returning Officer. Singh Deo was elected unopposed, alongside Pawan Singh, who has been appointed as the new Secretary General. Singh is recognized as one of India's leading shooting administrators and a technical expert. The elections also established a new Executive Committee and Governing Body, which is the top decision-making authority within the National Federation.

In his initial remarks, Deo expressed gratitude, stating, as per an NRAI press release, “Indian Shooting has recently experienced its most successful period in history, both in terms of achievements and popularity, which significantly increases our responsibilities. I sincerely thank the entire General Body for their trust in me and my team. We are committed to enhancing this growth momentum and maximizing the potential of our exceptionally talented shooting athletes. With the national flag at the forefront of our minds, let us unite to make India the top nation in our cherished sport.”

Pawan Singh, outlining his priorities as Secretary General, mentioned, “All NRAI functions are now digital, from registrations to results. The next phase is to utilize technology effectively. We aim to harness AI and performance data to discover talented shooters nationwide. My focus will be on employing technology to identify and develop promising athletes from every region of India. Additionally, we plan to train coaches and shooters for coaching roles, ensuring they have alternative careers post-retirement and can continue earning from the sport they have dedicated their lives to.”

In the two electoral contests held, Amit Sanghi from Telangana was elected as the Senior Vice President of the Governing Body, while Kanwar Sultan Singh and Sushma Singh were chosen as Vice-Presidents in the 15-member Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will also include four sports personalities: Olympic bronze medalist Gagan Narang, Kunti Malik, Zorawar Singh Sandhu, and Elavenil Valarivan.