Olympics-India’s Singh elected OCA president unanimously

September 8, 2024

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FILE PHOTO: Asian Games – Hangzhou 2022 – Opening Ceremony – Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Hangzhou, China – September 23, 2023 Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Acting President Raja Randhir Singh attends the Opening Ceremony REUTERS/Marko Djurica/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Randhir Singh was elected president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Sunday for a four-year term, becoming the first Indian to assume the post.

The 77-year-old has been the OCA acting president since 2021, filling in for Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who was handed a 15-year ban from sports administration in May this year over ethics breaches.

The former shooter, along with five vice presidents and an equal number of executive board members, were elected unopposed in the Indian capital.

“My unanimous election shows the unity in Asia,” Singh, a five-time Olympian, told Reuters after the OCA general assembly.

“My priority is to keep the OCA family together.

“It’s a matter of great joy that everyone was elected unanimously.”

Better marketing for the Asian Games and getting more sponsors on board will be high on his agenda, Singh told Reuters before assuming the OCA top post.