New Delhi, India, July 10, 2023: The President of the Indian Olympic Association, PT Usha, is looking forward to a “prospering association” with new OCA President Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al-Sabah.
In a Facebook message posted on Sunday, July 9, she noted: “As President IOA, cast my vote at #OCAElections in Bangkok and later met and congratulated the new OCA President Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Sabah of Kuwait. I look forward to a prospering association under his leadership.”
Sheikh Talal was elected OCA President for the period 2023-2027 after receiving 24 out of the 44 total votes cast at the 42nd OCA General Assembly in Bangkok on Saturday, July 8. The other candidate who ran for the position, OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam, received 20 votes.
The Indian Olympic Association has already received a helping hand from the OCA which has granted the IOA an additional one week for sending Indian wrestlers’ entries for the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games.
The deadline for all countries to send athletes’ entry by name is July 15. Under “exceptional circumstances” the IOA was granted a deadline extension till July 22.
Usha had written to the OCA last Thursday, July 6, to extend the deadline so that it could provide the six wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, enough time to prepare for the Asian Games and World Championships trials.
Accompanying Usha to the General Assembly was other IOA top brass, Senior Vice President Ajay Patel and Joint Secretary Kalyan Chaubey.
