Moroccan Surfer Ramzi Boukhiam Makes History as Olympic Flag Bearer, Aims for Gold in Tokyo

Native of Agadir, the Moroccan surfing champion, Ramzi Boukhiam, will represent Morocco, the Arab world and Africa in the surfing competitions which will be one of the new disciplines of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

In an interview with RFI, Boukhiam expressed his joy at this unprecedented achievement of realizing his dream of qualifying for the Olympics, adding that his greatest ambition is "to honor Morocco, the Arab world and Africa through a distinguished representation at this great global sporting event".

His ambitions on the beaches of Tsurigasaki, the venue for the competition, are very high. "I’m aiming for the gold medal! After that, it’s going to be very complicated because there will be the best in the world. But anything can happen. I feel ready, I have good boards. It just has to all come together on the big day. My opponents are not unbeatable (sic). I’m really going there to win."

Ramzi and Oumaima Belhabib will succeed the equestrian Abdelkebir Ouaddar, flag bearer of the Moroccan delegation in 2016 in Rio. In 2012 in London, it was the taekwondo player Wiam Dislam who had been chosen. The symbol is strong since Ramzi Boukhiam and Oumaima Belhabib will both compete in their first Olympics in the Japanese capital.

Furthermore, Morocco, through the Moroccan National Olympic Committee (CNOM), has announced that any athlete who wins a gold medal at these games will pocket 2 million dirhams, or just under 190,000 euros, compared to 1.25 million dirhams for a silver medal (about 120,000 euros) and 750,000 dirhams for bronze (about 70,000 euros).