IOC Requests Randhir Singh To Continue As Olympic Council Of Asia President
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has asked Randhir Singh, a veteran sports administrator from India, to continue as the acting head of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) during the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The IOC refused to recognize the recent OCA elections due to alleged involvement of Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who was banned for three years. His brother, Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, was appointed OCA president in the elections.
The IOC’s ethics commission found that Sheikh Ahmad had an “undeniable impact” on the elections and interpreted his presence in Bangkok during the elections as interference. As a result, they refused to recognize the election results until a full review of the process was conducted later.
Due to the ongoing investigation and the lack of recognition for Sheikh Talal’s election, the IOC has requested Randhir Singh to continue as the acting president of OCA.
Singh, a former secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association and an ex-IOC member, has been in this role since September 2021 when Sheikh Ahmad stepped down after being convicted of forgery in a Swiss court.
The IOC assured Randhir Singh that they will work with him to ensure the continued functioning of OCA according to the principles of good governance once the investigation is concluded.
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Singh, a former Olympic shooter and Asian Games gold medalist, has been involved in sports administration for several decades and served as the OCA secretary general from 1991 to 2015.
The Asian Games are scheduled to take place from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China. Despite the uncertainties surrounding the OCA elections, the games are set to proceed with athletes from various Asian countries competing in nearly 500 medal events.