Randhir Singh to vacate Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) presidency; Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani set to succeed.

Exam-focused facts from the 28 January 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Randhir Singh became the first Indian elected as Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president in September 2024 for a four-year term until 2028.
His presidency will end prematurely on 26 January 2026 after around 17 months due to ill-health, with a new election scheduled during the OCA General Assembly in Tashkent.
Qatar Olympic Committee president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani is the lone candidate and will be elected as the new OCA chief on 26 January 2026.
Randhir Singh, 79, had served as OCA acting president since 2021 before formally taking office in 2024.
He previously served as Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) from 1987 to 2012 and was an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from 2001 to 2014.