In a significant development for Indian sports administration, Pawan Singh has been elected unopposed to the pivotal role of Secretary-General of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). The elections, which solidified the leadership of the national shooting body, were held in Mohali on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
A Strengthened Leadership Team
This election reinforces the NRAI's top leadership, as Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo was also re-elected unopposed as the President. The pairing of Singh and Deo is expected to bring stability and a forward-looking vision to the helm of Indian shooting. Singh, a Pune-based shooting administrator and technical expert, brings decades of experience to the table.
His journey in the sport began in 1995, and he later served the nation as the national coach from 2007 to 2012. A landmark achievement came in 2018 when he became the first Indian to be elected to the Judges Committee of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF). This role has seen him serve as a jury member at premier global events, including the Olympic Games.
Vision for a Tech-Enabled Future
Outlining his immediate priorities, Pawan Singh emphasized a strong focus on leveraging cutting-edge technology. He stated that his first goal is to use technology and artificial intelligence to strengthen India's talent pipeline.
"All the functions in the NRAI are already online, from registrations to results, and now the next step is to use technology more efficiently," Singh explained. "We want 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."
He also highlighted a crucial aspect of athlete welfare: creating sustainable career paths. The plan includes training coaches and shooters for coaching roles, providing them with an alternate career post-retirement so they can continue to earn from the sport they have dedicated their lives to.
Expanding the Sport's Reach and Ecosystem
Beyond talent identification, Singh shared a broader vision to expand the domestic footprint of shooting. While proud of India's strong international performances, he believes the domestic ecosystem must grow in both scale and inclusivity.
"Our shooting sport is performing best, and we now want to make it more popular so that we can connect with more and more talent," he said. The aim is to help potential athletes understand the benefits of the sport, not just for competitive success but also for personal development.
Singh is also widely recognized as the co-founder of the renowned Gun for Glory shooting academy. Its premier facility at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mhalunge–Balewadi, Pune, has been operational for over a decade, serving as a crucial training ground for aspiring shooters.
With this new appointment, the Indian shooting community anticipates a data-driven and expansive approach to talent scouting and development, aiming to solidify the country's position as a global powerhouse in the sport.
