Nezha Bidouane, a former champion and president of the Royal Moroccan Federation for Sports, has voiced her criticism of Morocco’s performance at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
Morocco sent a team of 60 athletes to the Games, competing in 19 sports. The country’s medal haul consisted of just two: gold in the 3,000-meter steeplechase by world and Olympic champion Sofiane El Bakkali, and bronze won by the Moroccan football team.
Hassan Fakkak, the technical director of the Moroccan Olympic Committee, described the outcome as positive, a view that provoked a strong response from Bidouane. In media statements, she said, “Respect the intelligence of Moroccans; they are not fools.”
Speaking to Hesport, Bidouane criticized the overall performance, saying, “Apart from El Bakkali’s expected gold medal and the football team’s bronze, which experts had hoped would be gold, the results are disappointing and disastrous.”
The two-time world champion in the 400-meter hurdles and bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics added, “I am surprised by some who are trying to convince Moroccans that this outcome is positive. Moroccans are not fools; they know how to evaluate the overall performance.”
Bidouane emphasized that Morocco should not overlook the broader results of the tournament. “We need to consider all sports. Morocco has achieved better results in previous years, and it is not acceptable for anyone to mislead Moroccans and stay silent.”
She also reminded that in Sydney 2000, Morocco won five medals. “Those who are not knowledgeable about sports should not give Moroccans false opinions,” Bidouane said.
The overall outcome of the Paris Olympics did not meet the expectations of Moroccan sports fans, who viewed it as a failure despite Bakkali’s gold and the football team’s bronze.
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