With its 58 medals, Morocco topped the rankings at this international sporting event for the first time in its history, setting a new record in terms of the number of medals collected, with 42 medals in athletics, 8 in judo, 5 in road cycling, 2 in wrestling and one in ball juggling.
According to international observers, this is just the latest in a series of performances which, in regional, continental and international competitions, have consistently made Morocco a key player on the world sporting stage. And not only that!
All over the world, people are trying to fathom the “secret” of Morocco’s performance and to understand the virtuous dynamic that drives the country’s athletes and sportsmen and women, so much so that nothing seems to stop their ineluctable and determined march towards the podiums.
Semi-finalist at Qatar-2022, champion of the under-23 African Cup of Nations, finalist at the U17 AFCON football tournament, third-time champion of the Arab Futsal Cup, champion of the AfroCAN 2023 basketball tournament… it’s hard to pinpoint all the disciplines in which Morocco continues to rack up medals, laurels and praise.
Far from being a matter of chance, this steady and determined march towards glory and greatness is supported by a Royal Vision patiently matured around two key words: seriousness and self-sacrifice.
Seriousness is the watchword!
In His Speech to the Nation on the occasion of the Throne Day, His Majesty King Mohammed VI masterfully emphasized that “What I am calling for is not an empty slogan, nor is it a mere pronouncement to be taken at face value. Rather, it is an integrated concept rooted in a set of practical principles and human values. The more we commit to seriousness, the more successful we shall be in overcoming difficulties and rising to challenges”.
In fact, explained the Sovereign, ” whenever the conditions are right, and each time they commit to seriousness and to the spirit of patriotism, Moroccan youth always manage to dazzle the world with great, unprecedented accomplishments, and the feat of our national football team in the last World Cup is a case in point,” so much so that “as acknowledged, both in Morocco and around the world, our sons provided some of the best illustrations of patriotism and unity, as well as family and community cohesion.”
So it’s not surprising that Morocco, capitalizing on its cardinal virtue of seriousness, has joined Spain and Portugal in submitting a joint bid to host the final stages of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
The seriousness of Moroccan youth is also expressed in fields requiring creative genius and an innovative spirit, such as the production of the first locally-made car, or the presentation of the first hydrogen-powered car prototype, developed by a young Moroccan.
Most recently, no fewer than 41 Moroccans, out of 60 foreign students in the higher school preparatory classes (CPGE) stream, were admitted this year, revealing the excellence of Moroccan talent in the academic field.
This performance comes on the heels of the Moroccan team’s feat at the Pan-African Mathematical Olympiad (PAMO 2023) in Kigali last May, where Morocco took first place, two gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal.
And that’s not all! One of the Olympiad participants, Hiba El Ferchioui, was crowned African “Queen of Mathematics” after topping the girls’ ranking.
Lionesses roar!
In the same spirit of excellence, the Atlas Lionesses have written a glorious new page in the annals of Moroccan, Arab and continental football, after securing a historic qualification for the last 16 of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand.
With a precious victory over the Colombian team in the final match of the group stage, the Atlas Lionesses have confirmed the leading position that Moroccan football now occupies on the Arab and continental scene, the outcome of long-term efforts supported by a far-sighted and forward-looking Royal Vision.
The defeat of Ghizlane Chebbak’s team-mates against the German squad in their first game of these final stages did nothing to dent the Lionesses’ determination to believe in their chances of qualifying for the last 16.
The Moroccan women’s squad, the first Arab team to achieve such a feat in their first appearance at this world footballing showpiece, demonstrated their steely mentality and unrivalled courage with two successive victories over two top teams: South Korea and Colombia.
Everything suggests that this well-deserved feat has won the admiration of the public at home and abroad, so much so that the Lionesses of the Atlas, now serene and confident, are preparing to write a new page in the history of world football when they take on the French team tomorrow, Tuesday, in Adelaide.
