 Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was also the head of the Palestine Olympic Committee in these early days.The Palestinian Authority was first represented at the International Olympic Games at the 1996 Summer Olympics, by a runner who finished last in his 10,000 meter heat.Akram Zaher, the Manager of International Relations for the Palestine Olympic Committee, also served as a Board Member and the Environment & Sports Committee Chairman of the West Asian Games Federation.