All three OCA Merit Award recipients received their accolades from the continental governing body's President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, second from left ©ITG

Syrian Olympic Committee President Mowaffak Joumaa was among three officials to be awarded an Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Merit Award at the continental governing body’s General Assembly here in Turkmenistan’s capital.

Joumaa was joined in being recognised by Sri Lanka’s Maxwell De Silva, the secretary general of his country’s National Olympic Committee, and Chinese Taipei’s Kevin Kuo-I Chen, the chair of the OCA’s Finance Committee.

All three received their Merit Award, for services to Asian sport, from OCA President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

The General Assembly was held on the sidelines of the Ashgabat 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

Syrian Olympic Committee President Mowaffak Joumaa was among the three recipients of the OCA Merit Award ©Minjae Kim/Facebook
Syrian Olympic Committee President Mowaffak Joumaa was among the three recipients of the OCA Merit Award ©Minjae Kim/Facebook

In 2012, Joumaa was refused a visa to enter the United Kingdom for the London Olympic Games.

This was because of his links to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The decision not to allow Joumaa into Great Britain followed a meeting of the Home Office, Foreign Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The Home Office is responsible for carrying out background checks on behalf of the International Olympic Committee and advises them on whether an applicant is suitable for accreditation.