IOA asks Randhir Singh to continue as OCA's acting president, will helm Asiad

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Randhir Singh will be in charge of the Olympic Council of Asia during the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China after the International Olympic Committee refused to recognise the recent election at OCA. The IOA has asked Randhir to continue discharging his duties as the acting president of the OCA.

The IOC wrote to Randhir, a former secretary general of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and an ex-IOA member, after banning Kuwait's Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah for three years over his alleged involvement in the recent OCA elections in Bangkok, where the latter's brother Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was appointed president of the top continental sports body by 24 votes to 20. But the IOC, on the recommendation of its ethics commission, refused to recognise Sheikh Ahmad's election to the OCA president's post and launched an investigation into the polls.

A former OPEC secretary-general, Sheikh Ahmad was already suspended as a member of the IOC after being convicted by a Swiss criminal court of forgery in 2021, following which he also stepped down as president of the OCA. «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 said in the letter.

«We expect that you continue to direct the OCA administration in all matters, including the calling of any Executive Boards, General Assemblies and any other meetings needed for the governance of the OCA. »We would also appreciate if you could confirm to whom the IOC should address itself for daily