Moroccan Athletes Protest Frequency of Doping Tests, Claim Unfair Targeting

They do not disapprove of unannounced tests. But their frequency is starting to annoy them since the other athletes do not undergo as many doping tests, reports the newspaper Le Matin.

For the National Technical Director, Ayoub Mendili, this "double standard" policy is starting to annoy them and they find it unfair since everyone should be on an equal footing.

On the athletes’ side, Mendili mentions 4 to 5 controls in one month. He cites the case of Soufiane El Bakkali who has been the target of many controls.

Willingly or unwillingly, the latter simply took the blow. "I don’t know how many controls the other world athletes undergo, but this frequency is indeed very high," observes the Moroccan athlete.

Despite these countless doping controls, Moroccan athletes submit to them in all tranquility because they believe in a clean sport, Mendili indicates.

These overly aggressive controls can be justified by the somewhat murky past of Moroccan athletics, which a few years ago was blacklisted by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Thanks to the negotiations and the colossal efforts deployed by the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation, the kingdom has finally been removed from this list. For Mendili, Morocco no longer wants dubious medals that tarnish its image internationally.