The 65-year-old claimed that he had made his decision because he wanted to quit at the top and will also step down as secretary general of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) when his current tenure expires in 2015.

"I would like to inform that in the 2012 General Assembly meeting of India Olympic Association, I will not be standing for any post in the Olympic Movement in India," Randhir wrote in a letter sent to senior members of the IOA.

Singh's decision to retire follows a trubulent year for Indian sport which was marked by a row over whether the country would be ready for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and subsequent claims of corruption, which has led to several arrests, including Suresh Kalmadi, President of the IOA and head of the Organising Committee, who remains in jail.

There has also been - so far unsuccesful attempts - by the Indian Government to introduce an age and term limit on how long sports officials can serve in their posts down.

Under the controversial plans, administrators would have to step down when they are 70, an idea Singh has opposed. 

"I am looking forward to make way for the youngsters," said Singh.

"There are a lot of good young administrators.

"As a sportsman you want to retire at the top, and similarly as an administrator I want to leave when I am at the top."

Singh, who, as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2001, has held his post at the IOA for 24 years and at the OCA since 1991.

"I was elected to the IOA as a joint secretary in 1984 and as the secretary general of the IOA in 1987," he said.

"At present I have one year to complete my tenure in the IOA till 2012.

"I have also been elected for the sixth time unanimously as the secretary general of the Olympic Council of Asia.

"The last elections took place this year and my tenure with the OCA will be till 2015.

"In Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) I was elected in the year 2002 as a Member of the Executive Board and I have been re-elected many times since then.

"I have been elected again last year for a term of four years till 2014."

Singh, a former trap and skeet shooter, represented India in six consecutive Olympic Games, starting at Tokyo in 1964 and finishing at Los Angeles 20 years later. 

The highlight of his career was winning a gold medal at the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok and then a silver and bronze at New Delhi in 1982. 

"My own connections as a sportsman with the Olympics Movement in the country began in 1963, when I participated in the pre-Olympic Games at Tokyo," said Singh.

"My last international competition was the Asian Games in Hiroshima in 1994.

"It was the first time in history that an office bearer who was also the secretary general of a continental organisation [OCA], was competing in the Asian Games.

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