Paris Olympics: Moroccan athletes flop

While footballers Moroccans make historic run at Paris OlympicsTheir compatriots competing in other sports such as athletics, boxing and volleyball are sinking, provoking the anger of Moroccan fans.

The first African to win the World Boxing Championship, Morocco’s Khadija Mardi failed to qualify for the semi-finals in the under 75 kg category in Paris. Boxer Widad Bertal, competing in the under 54 kg category, was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing to North Korea’s Pang Choi-Miet by unanimous decision of the judges. The Moroccan pair of Abicha and El Graoui were eliminated from the competition after suffering a third consecutive defeat in the group stage of the beach volleyball tournament against Cuba’s Díaz-Alayo Moliner (2-0). After winning a bronze medal at the World Championships, kayaker Mathis Soudi finished in 16th place in the semi-finals of the Canoe-Kayak Slalom (K-1) events, failing to reach the final, as in 2021. Moroccan swimmer Ilias El Fallaki failed to qualify for the next stage of the 400-meter freestyle. Moroccan judokas, including Soumiya Iraoui and Abderrahmane Boushita, were also defeated and eliminated early in the tournament. As for rower Majdouline El Allaoui, she failed to qualify for the quarter-finals, finishing fifth in the repechage with a time of 8:42.07.