Sheikh Talal Becomes the Third Member of a Family to Lead the Olympic Council of Asia

Hussein Muslim and Sheikh Talal Al-Sabah, both from Kuwait, were candidates for the presidency of the Olympic Council of Asia, with Sheikh Talal, 54, the son of Sheikh Fahd Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the first president of this council, ultimately winning with 24 votes to become the new president. Hussein Muslim received 20 votes in this election. According to Reuters, Sheikh Talal succeeds his brother Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah, who led the organization from 1991 to 2021 and resigned after being convicted in a forgery case in Switzerland. Sheikh Talal will oversee the Asian Games this year in Hangzhou, China, starting from September 23. Randhir Singh, the former secretary-general of the council from India, has been serving as the interim president since 2021. The Olympic Council of Asia organizes multiple Asian Games, with the next edition set to open on September 23 in Hangzhou, China, featuring around 12,000 athletes competing in over 480 events. The Iranian women's volleyball team achieved fifth place in Asia. The 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou were postponed by one year. The end of the Olympics in China means Asia will have to wait years to host again.