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Rabat – Morocco is gearing up to participate in the 17th Paralympic Games, set to be held from August 28 to September 8 in Paris. The country’s delegation will feature 38 athletes competing across a wide array of sports, in their 10th participation in the Summer Paralympic Games.
The Paralympic Games, which shortly follow the Olympic Games every year, is the premier international sporting event involving athletes with a range of disabilities.
This marks an important moment for Moroccan para-athletes as they prepare to display their skills on the most prestigious global stage for athletes with disabilities.
Moroccan para-athletes with various motor and visual impairments will strive to bring home medals to make their country proud.
Athlete categories striving for gold
The athletes in the motor impairment category include Ayoub Sadni, Abdallah Kani, Azzeddine Nouiri, Zakari Darham, Zakaria Zouhri, Aymane Al Haddaoui, Yousra Karim, Hayat El Garaa, Saida Amoudi, Fouzia Lakssioui, Amina Oubraim, and Nour Al Houda Al Kaoui.
Moroccan competitors with visual impairments include Amine Chentouf, Moncef Bouja, Abdessalam Hili, Fatima Zahra al Idrissi, and Meryem Nouri.
In the para powerlifting category, Morocco will be represented by Najate El Garra, competing in the -61 kg weight class, and Ouafae Al Azzab in the -45 kg weight class.
The sport of wheelchair tennis will see competitors Najwa Awane, Samira Benichi, Lhaj Boukartacha, and Said Himam participating in both singles and doubles events.
The Moroccan team will also include athletes in para-taekwondo, with Rajae Akermache, Rachid Ismaili Alaoui, Ayoub Adouich, and Naoual Al Arif representing the country.
Meanwhile, in para-cycling, Haytam Amraoui will be the sole representative, aiming to make a mark in the road cycling events.
Morocco will also compete in goalball, a team sport for athletes with visual impairments. The goalball team includes Abderazzak Hattab, Zouhir Snisla, Ayoub Hadimi, Houssam Ghili, Aït Baja Lahbib, Saïd Al Maslak, Hicham Lamlas, Mohammed Al Hamouchi, Samir Bara, and Khalid Kirmadi.
With a well-rounded delegation across multiple sports, Morocco’s participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games highlights the country’s commitment to supporting and celebrating the achievements of athletes with disabilities in the international arena.
At the 2023 Para-Athletics World Championships, also held in Paris, Morocco secured multiple medals: three gold, two silver, and two bronze.
During these games, Moroccan athlete Ayoub Sadni, who triumphed in the 400-meter T47 race, set a new world record with a time of 46.78 seconds.
As Moroccan fans look to watch these para-athletes make their mark, there is an eager hope that they will bring forth a more impressive performance than their counterparts in the previously completed Olympics, who brought home a disappointing medal count of two.
