Bhalindra Singh
{{short description|Indian sports administrator and politician (1919–1992)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Bhalindra Singh
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Bhalindra Singh in London.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Singh (second from right) in London, England
| order =
| office = 4th & 6th President of the Indian Olympic Association
| term_start = 1960
| term_end = 1975
| predecessor = Yadavindra Singh
| successor = Om Prakash Mehra
| term_start1 = 1980
| term_end1 = 1984
| predecessor1 = Om Prakash Mehra
| successor1 = Vidya Charan Shukla
| office2 = Member of the International Olympic Committee
| term_start2 = 1947
| term_end2 = 1992
| office3 = Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly
| constituency3 = Patiala
| term_start3 = 1958
| term_end3 = 1962
| predecessor3 = Surinder Singh
| successor3 = Ram Partap
| module = {{Infobox cricketer| embed = yes
| country = India
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm slow
| columns = 1
| column1 = First-class
| matches1 = 13
| runs1 = 392
| bat avg1 = 21.77
| 100s/50s1 = 1/1
| top score1 = 109
| deliveries1 = 1284
| wickets1 = 25
| bowl avg1 = 27.00
| fivefor1 = 0
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 4/34
| catches/stumpings1 = 4/0
| source =http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/34810.html ESPNcricinfo
}}
| parents = Bhupinder Singh (father)
Jaswant Kaur (mother)
| birth_place = Patiala, Punjab Province, British India
| birth_date = {{birth date|1919|10|09|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1992|4|16|1919|10|9|df=y}}
| alma_mater = Magdalene College, Cambridge
| education = Aitchison College
| children = 4, including Randhir Singh
| width = 235
| relations = Phulkian dynasty
}}
Bhalindra Singh (9 October 1919 – 16 April 1992) was an Indian sports administrator, politician and first-class cricketer. Singh was an influential sports administrator who held positions in international and Indian sports governing bodies. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1947 to 1992. Singh was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Patiala in the Punjab Legislative Assembly.{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=Punjab Vidhan Sabha Compendium of Who's Who of Members (1937–2017) (Updated till 25-10-2019) |url=https://punjabassembly.nic.in/images/docs/Vidhan%20Sabha%20Compendium.pdf |access-date=14 April 2024 |website=Punjab Vidhan Sabha |publisher=Punjab Vidhan Sabha Secretariat |page=63 |format=PDF}}
Background and education
Bhalindra Singh was born on 9 October 1919 in Patiala, Punjab Province, British India.{{Cite web |title=Bhalindra Singh |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/bhalindra-singh-34810 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326214741/https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/bhalindra-singh-34810 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |access-date=2023-03-26 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}} He was a younger son of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and a member of the Phulkian dynasty. Singh's mother was Jaswant Kaur. His mother, Jaswant, was the sister of Gian Singh Rarewala, who was the first Chief Minister of the former state of Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), and a former President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.{{Cite book |last=Dulat |first=A. S. |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/A_Life_in_the_Shadows/XaigEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv |title=A Life in the Shadows: A Memoir |date=22 December 2022 |publisher=HarperCollins Publishers India |isbn=978-93-5629-597-1}}{{Cite web |date=6 November 2016 |title=Prominent Players |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/arts/prominent-players-318724/ |access-date=17 April 2025 |website=The Tribune}} His elder brother was Yadavindra Singh, the last ruling Maharaja of Patiala. Nirlep Kaur, Singh's cousin and the daughter of his uncle, Gian Singh Rarewala, was a politician who served as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha and her husband, Rajdev Singh Akoi, was an owner of The Imperial, a luxury hotel in New Delhi.{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Indian_Parliamentary_Companion/ZLZVAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv |title=Indian Parliamentary Companion: Who's who of Members of Lok Sabha |date= |publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat |year=2003 |location=New Delhi |page=359 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=8 February 2016 |title=S. Jasdev Singh vs The State & Ors on 8 February, 2016 |url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/10528980/ |access-date=5 May 2025 |website=Indian Kanoon}}{{Cite web |last=Mishra |first=Bhavini |date=17 December 2024 |title='Imperial' trademark dispute: HC says yes to settlement among Akoi family |url=https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/imperial-trademark-dispute-hc-says-yes-to-settlement-among-akoi-family-124121701352_1.html |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250220084155/https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/imperial-trademark-dispute-hc-says-yes-to-settlement-among-akoi-family-124121701352_1.html |archive-date=20 February 2025 |access-date=6 May 2025 |website=Business Standard}}
Singh was educated at Aitchison College in Lahore and later attended Magdalene College, Cambridge in England.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xhgoAQAAIAAJ |title=Encyclopaedia of Cities and Towns in India: Punjab |date=2008 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-212-0973-1 |page=198 |language=en |access-date=13 April 2023 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408185340/https://books.google.com/books?id=xhgoAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}
Cricket career
Singh was a right-handed middle order batsman and right arm slow bowler. During his time at the University of Cambridge, he played one match for the Cambridge University Cricket Club against Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in 1939.{{Cite book |last= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=twNYZbHX-KEC&q |title=Advance |publisher=Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Punjab |year=1992 |volume=42 |location=Punjab |pages=46–47 |language=en |access-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407041839/https://books.google.com/books?id=twNYZbHX-KEC&q=cambridge |archive-date=7 April 2023 |url-status=live}} After Cambridge, Singh played 12 matches in India for Southern Punjab and Patiala. In the 1943 to 1944 season, he made his only century while playing for Southern Punjab against Northern India.
Sports administration career
After finishing his cricket career, Singh became a sports administrator, and he held positions in international and domestic sports governing bodies.
Singh was a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1947 to 1992 and had also served on the IOC's executive board.{{Cite web |title=Indian Olympic Association. |url=https://olympic.ind.in/organisation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124111734/https://olympic.ind.in/organisation |archive-date=24 January 2022 |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=Indian Olympic Association}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YsyBAAAAMAAJ |title=Olympic Review |date=1980 |publisher=International Olympic Committee |page=125 |language=en |access-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413192557/https://books.google.com/books?id=YsyBAAAAMAAJ |archive-date=13 April 2023 |url-status=live}} He was instrumental in organising and bringing the 9th Asian Games to Delhi in 1982.{{Cite web |last1=Bobb |first1=Dilip |last2=Raina |first2=Asoka |date=2014-08-12 |title=India set to stage country's most ambitious undertaking to date – IX Asiad |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19820630-india-set-to-stage-countrys-most-ambitious-undertaking-to-date-ix-asiad-771925-2013-10-11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131184652/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/19820630-india-set-to-stage-countrys-most-ambitious-undertaking-to-date-ix-asiad-771925-2013-10-11 |archive-date=31 January 2022 |access-date=2022-01-31 |website=India Today |language=en}} Singh also served as the President of the Asian Games Federation.{{Cite book |last=Kaul |first=Vimla |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eCgKAQAAIAAJ |title=India Since Independence: Chronology of Events |publisher=Sagar Publications |year=1978 |volume=7 |page=1742 |language=en |access-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413192603/https://books.google.com/books?id=eCgKAQAAIAAJ |archive-date=13 April 2023 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=Services retain Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy; Sajan Prakash and Hashika Ramachandra crowned Best Athletes |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/sajan-prakash-and-hashika-ramachandra-crowned-best-athletes-in-national-games-2284584-2022-10-12 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408044128/https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/sajan-prakash-and-hashika-ramachandra-crowned-best-athletes-in-national-games-2284584-2022-10-12 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=India Today |date=12 October 2022 |language=en}}
Singh was President of the Athletics Federation of India from 1952 to 1968.{{Cite book |last1=Naseem |first1=Mohammad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_N2PEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT231 |title=Sports Law in India |last2=Naseem |first2=Saman |date=2022-08-20 |publisher=Kluwer Law International B.V. |isbn=978-94-035-4775-6 |language=en |access-date=13 April 2023 |archive-date=29 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329123643/https://books.google.com/books?id=_N2PEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT231 |url-status=live }} He was also the President of the Swimming Federation of India from 1952 to 1955.{{Cite book |last=Wadhwaney |first=Kishin R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m8uBAAAAMAAJ |title=The Story of Swimming |publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India |year=2002 |isbn=978-81-230-1012-0 |page=290 |language=en}} Singh was the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1960 to 1975 and from 1980 to 1984. The Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy is named after Singh and is awarded to the team that wins the highest number of gold medals at the National Games of India.{{Cite web |last=Olympics.com |date=12 October 2022 |title=National Games 2022: Services retain Raja Bhalindra Singh Trophy; Lovlina Borgohain wins gold in boxing |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/national-games-2022-final-day-results |access-date=6 April 2023 |website=Olympics |archive-date=21 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021204156/https://olympics.com/en/news/national-games-2022-final-day-results |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Peri |first=Dinakar |date=2022-10-14 |title=Services team tops medals tally at National Games 2022 for fourth consecutive time |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/services-team-tops-medals-tally-at-national-games-2022-for-fourth-consecutive-time/article66006061.ece |access-date=2023-04-06 |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407172006/https://www.thehindu.com/sport/services-team-tops-medals-tally-at-national-games-2022-for-fourth-consecutive-time/article66006061.ece |url-status=live }}
Political career
Singh was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Patiala Assembly constituency from 1958 to 1962. He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly as an independent candidate.
Awards
- Padma Bhushan – 1983{{Cite web |title=Padma Awards. Interactive Dashboard |url=http://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Name=Bhalendra%20singh |access-date=2022-11-08 |website=dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in |language=en |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108120021/http://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Name=Bhalendra%20singh |url-status=live }}
- Service Award by the United States Sports Academy – 1983{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_VnVAAAAMAAJ |title=Careers Digest: A Journal of Careers, Competitions, and Current Affairs |year=1983 |page=53 |language=en |access-date=13 April 2023 |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413192542/https://books.google.com/books?id=_VnVAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}
Personal life and family
Singh was married to Pushpa Kumari, the daughter of Charat Singh, the ruler of Sahanpur, and the paternal aunt of Bharatendra Singh, a former Lok Sabha Member of Parliament and a former member of the court of Aligarh Muslim University.{{Cite news |date=12 March 2022 |title=Raja Devendra Singh |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/raja-devendra-singh/articleshow/12368274.cms |access-date=1 May 2025 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}{{Cite book |last=Brentnall |first=Mark |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Princely_and_Noble_Families_of_the_F/ayYbAvECXQwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq |title=The Princely and Noble Families of the Former Indian Empire: Himachal Pradesh |date= |publisher=Indus Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=978-81-7387-163-4 |volume=1 |location=New Delhi |pages=33–34 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Mody |first=Anjali |date=15 January 2015 |title=Politicians and Politics that Stoked Latent Communal Tensions in Muzaffarnagar |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/vantage/politicians-politics-communal-tensions-muzaffarnagar |access-date=1 May 2025 |website=The Caravan}} Singh had 3 daughters and one son. His son, Randhir Singh, served as a member of the International Olympic Committee, as the President of the Olympic Council of Asia and in various other sports administration roles.{{Cite web |date=2021-12-16 |title=Raja Randhir SINGH – Indian Olympic Association, IOC Member since 2001 |url=https://olympics.com/ioc/raja-randhir-singh |access-date=2022-01-30 |website=International Olympic Committee |language=en |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109213427/https://olympics.com/ioc/raja-randhir-singh |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=8 September 2024 |title=Randhir Singh becomes first Indian to be elected OCA president |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/randhir-singh-first-indian-olympic-council-of-asia-oca-president |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008205704/https://olympics.com/en/news/randhir-singh-first-indian-olympic-council-of-asia-oca-president |archive-date=8 October 2024 |access-date=27 December 2024 |website=Olympics}} His granddaughter Rajeshwari Kumari, the daughter of his son Randhir, has been an Olympic-level trap shooter.{{Cite web |last=S |first=Gomesh |date=25 August 2023 |title=Shooter Rajeshwari traps seventh Olympic quota for India at Worlds |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2023/Aug/25/shooter-rajeshwari-traps-seventh-olympic-quota-for-india-at-worlds-2608615.html |access-date=7 May 2025 |website=The New Indian Express}}{{Cite web |last=S |first=Gomesh |date=19 June 2023 |title=Rajeshwari Kumari primed to follow father’s footsteps |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/other/2023/Jun/19/rajeshwari-kumariprimed-tofollow-fathers-footsteps-2586486.html |access-date=8 May 2025 |website=The New Indian Express}} One of Singh's daughters was Padmesh Kumari, whose daughter, Shagun Khanna, married politician and businessman Arvind Khanna.{{Cite web |last=Vinayak |first=Ramesh |date=16 June 2003 |title=Padmesh Kumari murder case: Will justice finally be delivered? |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/controversy/story/20030616-padmesh-kumari-murder-case-will-justice-finally-be-delivered-792541-2003-06-15 |access-date=14 April 2025 |website=India Today}} Singh’s cousin through his mother Jaswant, was A. S. Dulat, former Secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s foreign intelligence agency.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Cricinfo|id=34810}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-civ}}
{{s-bef| before = Yadavindra Singh}}
{{s-ttl| title = President of the Indian Olympic Association|years = 1960–1975}}
{{s-aft| after = Om Prakash Mehra}}
{{s-bef| before = Om Prakash Mehra}}
{{s-ttl| title = President of the Indian Olympic Association|years = 1980–1984}}
{{s-aft| after = Vidya Charan Shukla}}
{{s-end}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1980–89}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Bhalindra}}
Category:Indian sports executives and administrators
Category:Cambridge University cricketers
Category:Southern Punjab cricketers
Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in sports