Asian Games
IOC asks Randhir Singh to continue as acting president of Olympic Council of Asia
IOC, last week, quashed the OCA elections held earlier this month. The IOA has also banned Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for three years, saying he had been an "undeniable impact" on the OCA elections.
Randhir Singh has been serving the OCA as the acting president since 2021.
The International Olympic Committee asked Randhir Singh to continue as the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia. The IOC issued a letter in this regard on Sunday.
“Following the IOC Executive Board decision of 27 June 2023 in relation to the provisional suspension of the IOC Member in Kuwait, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, and in particular the point relating to a further investigation into the OCA elections by the IOC, I would like to clarify certain points relating to the IOC’s position in this regard. Seeing as the IOC investigation is likely not to be concluded before October 2023 and since the IOC has not recognised the election of Sheikh Talal Al-Sabah, the IOC will continue to work with you as OCA’s acting President and with the OCA Executive Board that was in place prior to the Bangkok General Assembly,” the IOC letter signed by James Macleod, director of Olympic Solidarity and head of National Olympic Committee (NOC) relations at the IOC, read.
The IOC has also asked Singh, a former Olympic skeet shooter, to take care of the governance of the OCA. “Following the outcome of the IOC investigation, we will work with you to implement the next steps of a roadmap to ensure the continued functioning of the OCA according to the basic principles of good governance,” the letter added.
IOC, last week, quashed the OCA elections held earlier this month. The IOA has also banned Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for three years, saying he had been an "undeniable impact" on this month's OCA elections in which his brother Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was appointed president.
Sheikh Ahmad was present at the time of the elections in the Thai capital of Bangkok, which the IOC ethics commission "interpreted as interference in the election process". Sheikh Ahmad has denied any wrongdoing.
Sheikh Talal won the OCA presidential election by a margin of 24 votes to 20 over his fellow Kuwaiti, Husain Al-Musallam.
The ethics commission, however, said the IOC should not "recognise these elections until a full review of the OCA's elections process is carried out at a later stage".
Sheikh Talal was due to assume charges replacing Singh, who was appointed acting president of the OCA in 2021 when Sheikh Ahmad stepped down as president after being convicted by a Swiss criminal court of forgery.
