Toni Khoury

Toni Khoury played basketball and volleyball as a youth and got his start in sports administration as secretary-general of the Lebanese Basketball Federation in 1964, being named President in 1970 and serving in that position through 1997. Khoury founded the Pan-Arab Basketball Confederation in 1974 and was President from 1974-78.

Khoury’s business career was spent as owner of an engineering and contracting company. In politics he was elected as a member of the Municipal Council of the city of Beirut (2004-10).

In 1983 Khoury became secretary-general of the Olympic Council of Asia, a role he held through 1994. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Lebanese Olympic Committee from 1964-87, after which he was named vice-president, and then served as their President from 1988-96.

Khoury was co-opted onto the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1995, staying on the IOC until 2016, after which he was made an Honorary Member for life. During his time on the IOC he was on the Executive Board from 2001-06 and worked on multiple commissions, including Olympic Solidarity (1996-2001), IOC 2000 Reform Follow-up (2002), International Relations (2003-15), 2009 Olympic Congress (2006-09), Radio and Television (2012-15), and Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport (2015-16).

For his efforts in international sport Khoury has received numerous awards and distinctions. He received the Olympic Order in 1986. He was made a Knight (1972), Officer (1986), Grand Officer (1998) and Commodore (2001) of the Legion of Honour. In 2010 he was given the Grand Collar of the National Order of the Southern Cross. The Lebanese Olympic Committee is now headquartered in a building named in his honor.