Rabat – The Moroccan press is grieving the loss of sports journalist Belaid Bouimid, who died late Monday night in a Casablanca clinic after a prolonged illness.
Bouimid, a distinguished figure in sports journalism, was also a poet and a trailblazer in editorial cartooning, leaving a profound legacy behind him.
His expertise in sports analysis spanned numerous television channels and radio stations.
A graduate of Sciences Po in Paris, he started his career at Al Bayane and later became a key voice on Radio Mars, where he hosted the popular “Mars Attack” morning show and contributed to multiple columns, including for L’Opinion.
As a renowned caricaturist, he also organized several exhibitions in Morocco and France, where he formed a close friendship with Plantu, the notable caricaturist for the French daily Le Monde.
Elected president of the African Sports Press Union (UAPS) in 2005 and 2009, he was also an influential member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), significantly advancing Moroccan and African sports journalism internationally.
In acknowledgment of his contributions, he received a royal medal from the late King Hassan II during a Throne Cup event in the 1990s.
Colleagues and friends have flooded social media with prayers and tributes to honor the esteemed Moroccan journalist.
“May God have mercy on Belaid Bouimid, the dean of sports journalists and the man who carried in his mind and chest a culture that no one else in his field had achieved,” one user posted on X.
