Kalikesh Singh Deo Leads NRAI For First Full Term; Pawan Singh Takes Over Key Role

Last Updated:December 04, 2025, 16:38 IST

Odisha MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo starts his first full term as National Rifle Association of India president, with Pawan Singh as secretary general.

Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo (sixth from right), President, NRAI, along with newly elected members of the Governing Body & Executive Committee post the NRAI office-bearer elections and General Body meeting

Odisha MLA Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo started his first full four-year term as president of the National Rifle Association of India after being elected unopposed during its general body meeting on Thursday.

Pawan Singh, a renowned administrator and technical expert in precision sports, was elected as the new secretary general, as the results of the sports body’s elections were officially declared.

The elections were overseen by Justice (Retd) Nirmaljit Kaur, who served as the returning officer.

A new executive committee and governing body were also established through the elections.

Expressing his initial reactions, Singh Deo said, “Indian shooting has experienced its most successful phase in history over the past couple of years, both in terms of success and popularity, which significantly increases our responsibilities.

“I sincerely thank the entire general body for their trust in my team and me and we promise to leave no stone unturned to further accelerate this growth and maximise the potential of our extraordinarily talented shooting athletes.

“With the flag foremost in our thoughts, let us all work together to make India number one in the world in our beloved sport."

Odisha’s Singh Deo has been leading the federation since former president Raninder Singh completed his three terms in office.

Pawan Singh added, “All NRAI functions, from registration to results, are now online, and the next step is to use technology efficiently. We aim to leverage AI and performance data to identify talented shooters across the country.

“My focus will be on using technology to find and nurture promising athletes from every corner of India. We also want to train coaches and shooters for coaching to provide them with an alternate career post-retirement, allowing them to earn 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, while Kanwar Sultan Singh and Sushma Singh were elected vice presidents in the 15-member executive committee.

The four sportspersons in the executive committee are Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang, Kunti Malik, Zorawar Singh Sandhu, and Elavenil Valarivan.

(With PTI Inputs)

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