CAS rejects Sheikh Talal's appeal, paves way for Randhir Singh's continued OCA leadership

New Delhi: The Court of Arbitration for Sports on Monday rejected an appeal filed by Kuwaiti Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Sabah against International Olympic Committee's decision to not recognise his election as Olympic Council of Asia president in 2023.

The development cleared any obstacle on the continuance of India's veteran Randhir Singh as OCA chief after his election to the top post in the General Assembly of the continental Olympic body held here on September 8.

The Switzerland-based CAS, world sports' apex tribunal, rejected the appeal filed by Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Sabah, whose elder brother Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah was at the helm of OCA affairs from 1991 to 2022.

"The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) today ruled in favour of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) with its president as Raja Randhir Singh," the OCA said in a post in X.

"The CAS rejected the appeal lodged by Sheikh Talal Fahad Al-Sabah on 13th December 2023 and stated that the appeal is inadmissible and ordered Sheikh Talal to pay the legal costs of the case." Singh was appointed acting chief of the OCA by the IOC in September 2021 after Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah stepped aside as president following a Geneva Court ruling that found the Kuwaiti guilty of forgery.

He was handed a 15-year ban from sports administration.

In July 2023, Sheikh Ahmed's younger brother Sheikh Talal was elected as the OCA president in the elections held in Bangkok.

But the IOC refused to recognise the elections, ruling that Sheikh Ahmed had an "undeniable impact" on the OCA polls which made his younger brother as head of the organisation.

Sheikh Talal had filed an appeal against this decision of the IOC at the CAS, which on Monday rejected with costs.

The 77-year-old Singh, a former member of the IOC (2001-2014) and ex secretary general of Indian Olympic Association (1987-2012), was also a five-time Olympic shooter.

He had served as OCA Secretary General from 1991-2015 under Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

Singh is the first Indian to be elected as the OCA president. He has been an honorary member of the IOC since 2014.