Bhubaneswar: Balangir MLA and senior BJD leader, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, has been elected as the new president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) after defeating rival VK Dhall with a 36-21 margin in the polls held at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, on Saturday.
Kalikesh had been overseeing the NRAI’s operations since last year, following the resignation of Raninder Singh, who stepped down in accordance with the government’s National Sports Code (NSC). The Sports Ministry had issued a directive stating that heads of national sports federations (NSFs) could not serve more than 12 years in office, a rule that affected Raninder, who had completed his tenure from December 29, 2010, to December 29, 2022.
Under Kalikesh’s leadership as interim head, India ended its Olympic medal drought in shooting, securing three bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, a significant improvement after missing out on podium finishes in both the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Kalikesh’s term as NRAI president will continue until 2025, when the next NRAI general body meeting is scheduled for elections.
