Ahmed Al-Koudoua was born in Jaffa and studied there in his youth, but fled to Gaza in the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. There he played on local football teams and eventually earned a degree in physical education, after which he became involved heavily in the development of autonomous sport in Palestine. His first pursuit was scouting, and he eventually moved to Saudi Arabia to develop a program there, before becoming political and working towards the independence of Palestine. This in turn led to him following the Palestinian Liberation Movement’s activities through Lebanon and Tunisia. Upon his return to Palestine he worked diligently in all aspects of sport, and his efforts paid off with the recognition of the Palestine Olympic Committee in 1993. He served as the body’s president from its founding until his 2008 retirement, and was also the President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports.
Palestine