“The presence of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani at the presidency of the Olympic Council of Asia is a great gain not only for the State of Qatar but for Asian sports as a whole, pointing out that the Asian continent will witness an ambitious vision and great development in the future under the leadership of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani.”

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani was recently elected as the 22nd President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) by acclamation at the 46th OCA General Assembly on January 26, 2026, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He was the sole candidate for the position and received 44 votes with one abstention.

His vision, themed “Together for Asia,” emphasizes:

• Strengthening unity and cooperation among the 45 National Olympic Committees.
• Promoting good governance, sustainability, and inclusivity.
• Investing in human capital and leveraging advanced technology like AI for sports administration.

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, was elected today as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) by acclamation, officially, during the 46th General Assembly meeting held in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, with the participation of more than 350 sports officials from forty-five Asian National Olympic Committees.

The President of the Qatari Chess Federation pointed out in a statement that Qatari sports witnessed the achievement of many shining accomplishments during the era of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, as they were able to obtain their first Olympic gold medal, and his election is considered a culmination of a sports journey full of achievements.

Al-Modiahki expressed his pride in the election of Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad to head the largest regional institution in the world, which came from confidence in his ambitious vision to lead Asian sports towards more.

Al-Modiahki said that the next stage carries great challenges, but the complete confidence in His Excellency’s leadership capabilities gives us certainty that he will lead the Asian continent to the ranks of the [world).

“Al-Modiahki explained that Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani had a clear imprint during his tenure as President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, through the sporting events hosted by the State of Qatar, and also in terms of the achievements made for Qatari sports.

The President of the Qatari Chess Federation expressed his complete confidence that His Excellency’s extensive experience will contribute fundamentally to the advancement of Asian sports and reaching the highest global levels, towards new horizons of excellence.

His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani is considered one of the most prominent sports leaders in the State of Qatar and the Asian region, as he led the process of developing Qatari sports since 2015 in his capacity as President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, establishing an integrated strategic vision that enhanced Qatar’s presence at the continental and international levels, and consolidated the country’s position as a global destination for organizing major sporting events.”