Elections have taken place at the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee ©Facebook

A two-year deadlock at the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee (A-NOC) appears to have ended following the election of Hafeez Wali Rahimi as President for a four-year term.

Rahimi was elected in elections in Kabul supervised by representatives from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) including the continental body's Asian Games Department head Haider Farman.

The OCA have now welcomed the result.

Rahimi is also Afghanistan's General Director of Physical Education and Sport, raising questions about his independence from Government and a possible violation of sporting autonomy rules. 

He reportedly won by just one vote ahead of sole rival Zia Dashti after accruing support from 16 out of 31 delegates present.

"We will work with our team with all due diligence to provide all the facilities we have and to serve the country's sport," Rahimi was quoted as saying afterwards by Tolo News.

"God willing, this election is the end point for all the problems in sport in the country, let's all work together for sport in the country."

OCA Asian Games director Haider Farman, second left, posing with newly elected Afghanistan National Olympic Committee officials ©Facebook
OCA Asian Games director Haider Farman, second left, posing with newly elected Afghanistan National Olympic Committee officials ©Facebook

Taekwondo player Rohullah Nikpai won Afghanistan's first ever Olympic medal with bronze at Beijing 2008 and replicated this with another third place finish at London 2012.

But this has been followed by huge administrative problems in Afghan sport.

Businessman Fahim Hasimy was elected as President in 2014 but faced resistance from other sporting leaders in the country and never got the backing of the OCA. 

Hashimy then resigned in 2015 and was replaced by Zahir Aghbar, who did seemingly have the support of both the OCA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Mahmod Hanif had also been claimed to be acting-president, though, and he had criticised the claim of Aghbar. 

Bawar Hotak was also elected as first deputy at the recent meeting in Kabul while Robina Jalali was chosen as second deputy for women’s affairs.

Rohullah Nekpa, Hares Rahmani, Ahmad Tariq Roshangar, Abdul Azem Niyazi, Najibullah Sikandar, Abdul Subour Azizi and Gen. Babah Jalandar were named as other members of the ruling Executive Council.

"Yes [we welcome the result]," OCA spokesperson told insidethegames. 

"The election was supervised by Haider Farman as IOC/OCA representative."