Rabat – After disappointing results from the Moroccan athletes in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, criticisms from observers and analysts have raised questions about Morocco’s strategy for developing sports talents and investing resources in national athletic organizations.
In the competitions so far, Moroccan athletes have failed to win any medals, with the only notable competitions being ones in which Morocco has a history of competition, such as boxing and athletics.
Activists and commentators have questioned the efficiency and operations of the country’s numerous athletic federations. This criticism included the results produced by the presidents of these organizations over the last few decades, with Moroccan Olympic achievements being limited to a few sports.
Moncef Lyazghi, a Moroccan researcher specializing in sports politics, spoke recently on the issue, specifying that most countries around the world have a threshold on the number of medals their teams are expected to achieve at the competitions, in an effort to establish expectations and motivations.
Morocco has not engaged in this practice except on rare circumstances when Hicham El Guerrouj, Nezha Bidouane, and other notable Moroccan athletes were still active.
Regardless of Morocco’s performance, Lyazghi predicts that the country will not win more than two medals in this year’s games, as the country has no previous experience in sports like Taekwondo or equestrian events.
Throughout its history, Morocco’s athletic teams have managed to amass 23 medals in total, with 19 from Athletics, and 4 in boxing.
The low number of participants for Morocco has also been cited by observers, counting 48 athletes, compared to Tunisia’s 65 athletes.
Othman El Ferdaous, the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, issued a statement on Facebook, praising the Moroccan athletes and pledging to cheer them on regardless of their results.
The statement sparked significant controversy in the comments, as commenters, including a few public figures and athletes, criticised the sentiment of “participation being the most important element” that seemed to characterize the Minister’s message.
Seif-Eddine Houmine, a Moroccan Jiu Jitsu world champion, notably posted a statement on Facebook, calling for a reform to the country’s entire athletic organizational structure.
“How is it possible that royal organizations have billions in their budget with no benefits,” the statement said, “organizations that have been established since Morocco’s independence could not earn a single medal in world championships or in the Olympics.”
