King Mohammed VI Honors Olympic Champion El Bakkali with Royal Distinction

Mohammed VI awarded this distinction to the Moroccan athlete who achieved a historic victory in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the Paris Olympic Games. The Sovereign had sent a message of congratulations to El Bakkali, who defended his Olympic title after winning the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, becoming the first athlete to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Congratulating the athlete for this honorable victory for both Soufiane El Bakkali and his country Morocco, the King saluted "his sincere patriotism, his firm will and his usual perseverance to win this prestigious Olympic medal," wishing that "your determination and your remarkable success be a source of inspiration for young Moroccan athletes and sportswomen to follow your example and achieve feats that honor Moroccan sports and raise it further in the next international events," said Mohammed VI in his message.

For some observers, these royal congratulations are significant, especially since Mohammed VI has highlighted the individual efforts of Soufiane El Bakkali, as well as his perseverance and determination, making no mention of the Athletics Federation led by Abdeslam Ahizoune.

It should be recalled that Mohammed VI had decorated all the Atlas Lions, as well as the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, after their epic journey at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. But he has deviated from this tradition with regard to Abdeslam Ahizoune. The latter attended the royal decoration ceremony of El Bakkali, but did not benefit from this distinction, which observers see as a way for the Sovereign to blame the president of the athletics federation for returning empty-handed from the Paris Olympics.