TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Qatar secured a significant victory in international sports governance Monday with the election of Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani as president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The unanimous appointment positions Qatar advantageously as it pursues hosting rights for the 2036 Summer Olympics.
Sheikh Joaan, the sole nominee for the position, received 44 votes with one abstention during the OCA’s annual assembly in Tashkent. He succeeds Randir Singh of India, who resigned citing health reasons, and will serve through 2028.
“I stand before you today with feelings of great pride and responsibility,” stated Sheikh Joaan in his acceptance address. The Qatari royal holds multiple influential positions in sports administration, including leadership of the Qatar Olympic Committee and senior vice presidency of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).
The appointment reinforces Qatar’s growing influence within Olympic circles as the International Olympic Committee prepares to establish the selection process for the 2036 Games. Qatar emerges as a frontrunner alongside India, with Saudi Arabia also expressing formal interest.
Sheikh Joaan’s election coincides with Qatar’s existing commitments to host the Asian Games in both 2030 and 2034 under OCA jurisdiction. The younger brother of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani—himself a 24-year International Olympic Committee member—Sheikh Joaan’s presidency signals Qatar’s strategic consolidation of power within Asian sports governance.
The next Asian Games will commence in September in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, continuing the quadrennial multi-sport tradition.