Sports Movement Development
Sport in Kuwait went through a number of important phases, after which sport was assigned the important role it plays in society. During the 1950's, sport was under the auspices of some public authorities, which formed the first sport union in 1952, known as the Kuwaiti Sport Union. The Kuwaiti Sport Union was the first public authority to supervise sport and the different sport championships of youth.

At that time Kuwait supported sport with funds from Social Affairs and Labor. Subsequently, foreign trainers were brought to train in Kuwait, and youth were encouraged to participate in foreign championships. In 1961, after independence, there was a pressing need for laws to regulate public sport activity with regard to the foundation, management and funding of club activities.

In addition, sport activities were included as part of school curricula. Youth centers were established and sport teams at companies and authorities were formed. The national clubs also were granted financial and spiritual support.
           
Back then “Al Maaref” department (nowadays known as the ministry of education) took charge of supporting “Etihad el Riadi” financially and literary wise and provided expertise and qualifications until the labor and social affaires department was established were the general sports’ federation became part of it. This is the organization form of the sports’ federation which was separated from the federation and formed its independent organizations in 1957 and this year witnessed the formation of the football federation. The ministry of labor and social affaires announced the establishment of the federation in 1969. The Kuwaiti federation joined with the international federation in 1962, with the Asian federation in 1964 and the Arab federation in 1974.

The Ministry of Social Affairs & Labour provides generous funding for organised sports activities through the Public Authority for Youth and Sports. Sports activities are organised into federations which are supervised by the Kuwait Olympics Committee. The sports federations and the Kuwait Olympic Committee are located in Hawalli

The Kuwait Olympic Committee, which is recognised by the International Olympic Committee and is a member of the Asian Games Federation, organises Kuwait's participation in international events. Kuwait first took part in the Olympics in Mexico City in 1968 and Kuwait won the Olympic gold medal, in Moscow in 1980. Indeed in the last twenty five years Kuwait has had outstanding success in international soccer, equestrianism, swimming and athletics, much of which can be attributed to the encouragement of HH the Amir, generous state support, the enthusiasm of fans and the media and, above all, to the guidance and organisational genius of Sk. Fahd Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah who was first elected chairman of the Kuwait Olympic Committee in 1974.

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