Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah and Thomas Bach presented the three OCA Merit Award winners ©OCA

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President N Ramachandran has been one of three figures awarded the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Merit Award for "outstanding service" to Asian sport.

Also honoured was South Korea's Kwon Kyungsang, the former secretary general of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, and Afghanistan National Olympic Committee (A-NOC) President Mohammad Zahir Aghbar.

The trio were awarded during the OCA General Assembly here by the body's President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah together with International Olympic Committee (IOC) counterpart Thomas Bach.

Ramachandran, also President of the World Squash Federation, was elected IOA head in 2014 to enable the body's suspension from the IOC to be lifted following alleged Government interference in previous elections.

He has since resisted a campaign led by Hockey India President Narinder Batra to remove and his award appears a show of confidence from the OCA.

It follows Ramachandran receiving the IOC's Olympic Order in Rio de Janeiro last month.

N Ramachandran has also been awarded an Olympic Order by the IOC
N Ramachandran has also been awarded an Olympic Order by the IOC

Recognition for Aghbar also appears a show of confidence due to lingering divisions within Afghanistan.

Both the IOC and the OCA continue to back Aghbar's claim to the A-NOC Presidency after he was re-elected at last September's OCA General Assembly in Ashgabat.

The vote had been slammed as "illegal and void" by rival Fahim Hashimy, who still enjoys support from various National Federations.

Kwon was recognised for his work organising the Asian Games.