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The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), the governing body in India for the Olympic sport of Shooting, is mourning the sad demise of its former Secretary General Baljit Singh Sethi.
The veteran administrator, who holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Secretary General of the NRAI, having served in the position for 24 long years from 1985 to 2009, breathed his last at 8.40 am on September 18. He was 89 and is survived by his wife, daughter, and son. "It is an irreparable loss to our Shooting family. His contribution to the development and growth of the sport in the country is immeasurable. Till his last breath, he had been advising and guiding juniors like us on how to continuously improve the running of the sport and provide better support to the Shooting athletes. It will be tough to find another like Baljit ji. Deepest condolences to his family and may his soul rest in peace," remarked Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, Senior Vice President, NRAI, on hearing the news. Also reacting to the development was Raninder Singh, former President of the NRAI saying, "It was under Shri Baljit Sethi's reign that Shooting began to get recognized as a popular sport in the country. His vision, dedication, and passion saw India win its first ever Olympic medal in Shooting and also the first individual Olympic gold for the country. He not only grew the sport for the benefit of the athletes but also groomed administrators like us to ensure the mantle gets passed on. May Waheguru grant his soul eternal peace." The present Secretary General, Kr Sultan Singh also expressed his grief at the news saying, "The entire Shooting fraternity is indebted to Sethi for his contribution to the sport and he will be sorely missed by all of us. He has made the NRAI Secretary General's shoes too huge to fill and we can only feel blessed that we had the good fortune of learning from him and seeing him work. On behalf of the NRAI, our deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones." (ANI)
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