Rabat – A total of six Moroccan boxers qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at the Dakar pre-Olympic boxing tournament, with the team earning four gold medals.
Three female athletes earned gold medals: Rabab Cheddar in the 51-kilogram weight class, Khadija Mardi in the 75-kilogram weight class, and Oumayma Bel Ahbib in the 69-kilogram weight class.
In the men’s competition, Youness Baala earned gold in the 91-kilogram weight class.
With a total of eight medals, Morocco ranked first in the final medal table ahead of Algeria, Cameroon, Zambia, and Tunisia.
All of the gold medalists qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, along with Moroccan pugilists Abedhaq Nadir (63 kg) and Mohamed Assaghir (81 kg).
The Moroccan boxers join several other athletes who will be representing the country in the upcoming Olympic Games.
Moroccan Taekwondo fighters Oumaima El Bouchti, Nada Laaraj, and Achraf Mahboubi qualified for the Games after winning in the semi-finals of the African Taekwondo Olympics Qualifiers from February 22 to 24.
Moroccan steeplechase runner Soufiane El Bakkali confirmed his participation in the Games on February 25, aspiring to become the first Moroccan Olympic gold medalist since 2004.
The Moroccan equestrian team also qualified for the Games, a first in the country’s history. Abdelkebir Ouaddar will represent Morocco in the individual jumping event.
The Olympic Games in Tokyo will be the second time Japan hosts the international sporting event.
Amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, there has been speculation that the games may be canceled, but the Japanese government has denied the rumors, insisting that the games will go ahead as planned.
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