Maharaja Karni Singh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maharaja Karni Singh was the ruler of princely state of Bikaner following its cession to India, a world-renowned and award-winning skeet shooter, and a member of the Indian Parliament for 25 years from 1952 to 1977.
Born on 21 April 1924 at Bikaner in Rajasthan, Singh was the 23rd in line of the Bikaner rulers. Following his education at St. Stephen's College in Delhi and St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, he received an honorary Ph.D from Bombay University and later visited the front lines of World War II in the Middle East with his grandfather there was awarded many military decorations.
Maharaja Karni Singh won the National Championship in Clay Pigeon Trap and Skeet for 17 years and represented India at all levels of international competition, including five Olympic Games. He was conferred the Arjuna award in 1961, the first ever shooter to be rewarded with this national honor. In 1962, Singh won a silver medal at the 38th World Shooting Championships at Cairo. He documented his shooting experience in his book of memoirs From Rome to Moscow.
Singh had three children; the second of these, Rajyashree Kumari, was also a first class shooter, who received the Arjuna award as well in 1968. He died on 6 September 1988.
