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Rabat – A picture of a young boy participating in the National Cross Country Running race with almost bare feet covered in make-shift duct tape shoes is taking the internet by storm.
Uploaded on Monday online by sports photographer Simo Hamdi, the picture shows the young boy, racing on the running track in Tamesna, Morocco with his small feet wrapped in duct tape, prompting online observers to conclude that the boy is too poor to own even a pair of running shoes.
The picture drew widespread online attention, with many social media users asking for the contact information of the boy’s family as they wanted to provide financial support for the young athlete.
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Hours after the picture was first posted, pictures of the same boy posing happily with a new pair of shoes were trending, with Moroccan activist Errami Ebdelali posting a series of pictures of the boy with his mother smiling. The post was captioned “Praise be God, the smile returned to the face of the future Moroccan hero.”
“The child Ahmed needs all the support he and his family have,” the caption reads.
Some social media users pointed an accusatory finger at the organizing authorities, saying that the sports’ association the boy represents should have provided him with proper equipment.
Morocco’s athleticism authorities under scrutiny
The picture of the young athlete comes as contempt against Morocco’s athleticism authorities is already mounting, led by famous Moroccan athletes.
Earlier this month, Olympic gold medalist Soufiane El Bakkali took to Instagram on Thursday to expose the sports authorities’ shortcomings.
“Failed plans that do not motivate players,” El Bakkali said on his Instagram. “Please reconsider.”
The athlete was criticizing the award structure of the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation (FRMA), and he is not the only one. A number of ex-athletes have also taken to social media to speak against what they called the “mishandling” of Morocco’s athletic infrastructure.
The athletes singled out mismanagement and corruption as the prime factors underlying Morocco’s declining performance in international sporting events.
Underfunding and lack of qualified staff also negatively impact FRMA’s performance as the incubator of Moroccan athletes. This month, Wydad AC’s previous coach Driss Ouajjou was said to have turned down an offer to join the federation.
Behind his decision, the coach cited “inadequate technical staff” and “scouting problems,” adding him to the long list of the federation’s critics.
Read Also: Soufiane El Bakkali, Ex-Athletes Criticize Moroccan Athletic Management
