Tashkent, January 26 (QNA) - HE President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Dr. Shavkat Mirziyoyev awarded HE President of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani the Order of Honour of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of the Olympic Movement and his active role in strengthening the stature of Asian sport.

This came on the sidelines of the 46th General Assembly of the OCA, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, during which HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani was elected as the new President of the OCA by acclamation, succeeding the Indian Randhir Singh.

The General Assembly witnessed broad participation from more than 350 sports officials representing 45 Asian National Olympic Committees, confirming the pivotal position of the OCA and its role in supporting and developing the sport.

HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani has maintained a strong and active presence within the international Olympic Movement through his involvement in several International Olympic Committee commissions and affiliated bodies. Since 2022, he has been a member of the IOC's Olympism 365 Commission, having previously served on the Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport Commission from 2018 to 2022. He has also been a Board Member of the Olympic Refuge Foundation since 2017.

In addition, His Excellency has served as Senior Vice President and Vice President for Asia of the Association of National Olympic Committees since 2022, and was a member of the Executive Board of the Olympic Council of Asia until 2024, underscoring the confidence placed in his leadership by international sports institutions.

Under Sheikh Joaan's leadership, Qatar successfully secured the hosting rights for the Doha 2030 Asian Games, FIVB 2029 Volleyball Men's World Championship and the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027. (QNA)