Tashkent, Uzbekistan, January 26, 2026: It was a dream come true for newly-elected President of the Olympic Council of Asia, HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, who disclosed that as a teenager he never thought he would one day be president of the continental body.
Qatari Sheikh Joaan, 39, sharing an anecdote soon after his unopposed election at the 46th OCA General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Monday, January 26, harked back to the Torch Relay across Asia for the 2006 Doha Asian Games.
“When I was a teenager, I took part in the Torch Relay for the 2006 Doha Asian Games, travelling 55 days across 20 Asian countries. At the time, I never imagined I would one day be standing here as President of the Olympic Council of Asia,” Sheikh Joaan related.
This warm and candid declaration was greeted with wide applause from delegates representing all 45 Asian National Olympic Committees gathered for the elective OCA General Assembly.
The meeting began with a welcome address from OCA Acting President Timothy Fok, followed by a video message from IOC President Kirsty Coventry.
The signing of host city contracts between the OCA and Tashkent, Uzbekistan (2029 Asian Youth Games), and Phnom Penh, Cambodia (2031 Asian Youth Games) was followed by reports from the five zonal OCA Vice Presidents: Fok (East Asia), Southeast Asia (Dr. Norza Zakaria), South Asia (HRH Prince Jigyel Wangchuck), Central Asia (Otabek Umarov), and West Asia (Dr. Thani Al Kuwari), and a report from WADA President Witold Banka.
The agenda then saw the Organising Committees of the three major continental events to be held in 2026 – Sanya Asian Beach Games, Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, and Riyadh Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games – present updates and progress reports to the assembly.
The IOC’s Olympic Solidarity and the Association of National Olympic Committees also made presentations before the Chairs of the 19 OCA Standing Committees gave their reports.
The venue for the next General Assembly – Doha, Qatar in 2027 – was announced by OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam, before the elective process unfolded with representatives from all 45 Asian NOCs voting.
With only Sheikh Joaan being nominated for the post, the outcome was academic.
