IOA announces memorial awards after Raja Randhir Singh, Jaspal Rana for best Asian Games athletes

NEW DELHI: Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha on Tuesday announced two memorial awards named after veteran sports administrator late Raja Randhir Singh and multiple Asian and Commonwealth Games medallist and renowned pistol coach Jaspal Rana. While Singh, who served as the secretary general of the IOA for 25 years from 1987 to 2012, and also as the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), passed away at the age of 79 in May this year, Rana, who was the coach of double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, died at the age of 49 in June.

Usha made the announcement here during the launch of a book on Rana titled "Maverick Jaspal", co-authored by senior sports journalists S Kannan and G Rajaraman. "From this year, the IOA has decided to introduce two memorial trophies in the names of legendary Raja Randhir Singh and shooting great Jaspal Rana for the best athletes in the Asian Games," she said.

"The Raja Randhir Singh Trophy will be awarded to the best male athlete of the Asian Games, while the Jaspal Rana Trophy will be awarded to the best female athlete of the Asian Games to honour their contribution to Indian sports." Usha, meanwhile, said that there are no accommodation-related issues till now at Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which is hosting the Asian Games, and if there is something, the Chef de Mission Sahdev Yadav would handle it. "They (organisers) have to give rooms because they are the organisers. From our side, we will do our best, and there is a Chef de Mission, and if there are any problems, he will solve them," said Usha, who will leave for Japan on Wednesday.