Landed in Fez on Sunday, the Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali was welcomed in his home country with the warmth of his family celebrating the gold medal win in 3,000m steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics.
The gold medalist arrived in his neighborhood, El Merja and was tightly hugged by his mother and applauded by a crowd of young people.
El Bakkali expressed joy at the popular reception held on the occasion of his return. “This title bodes well for Moroccan athletics and the young people who practice this discipline,” he said, recalling that young talents are “quite capable of resuscitating the glories of Moroccan athletics on the international scene”.
By winning the 3,000m steeplechase in 8: 8.9, ending Kenya’s 37 years reign, at the Tokyo Olympics, El Bakkali gave Morocco its only gold medal. In Rio 2016, the champion finished at the foot of the 3,000m steeplechase podium, before taking first place in the Diamond League and the silver medal. In the 2017 London Worlds, he was marked as one of the 10 fastest runners in history on his flagship race.
From the Fes-Boulemane athletics league, Driss El Adel assured El Bakkali, on this occasion, that this victory represents “a pride for all Moroccans and an honor for the Fes-Meknes region and the Ahl Fez club. athletics, to which Soufiane El Bekkali belongs”.
The Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation also organized, at its headquarters, a reception in honor of the Moroccan Olympic champion, marked by the presence in particular of its president Abdeslam Ahizoune, some Moroccan athletes who took part in the Tokyo Games and members of the national technical direction.
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