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Born in Casablanca in 1981, Amal grew up in a family where her father was keen on teaching his children the values of sports. Her brother practiced taekwondo, her sister karate, and Amal began practicing judo at the age of four.
Passionate about sports, Amal obtained her baccalaureate in experimental sciences with a specialization in sports. In 1997, Raja Casablanca was scouting for talents in sambo and judo, and Amal was selected to participate in the African Wrestling Cup.
Amal placed third in the continental competition. A year later, she won gold at the African Games in Egypt. She didn't defend her title the following year due to her baccalaureate exams. In 2000, she placed second in the same championship in Tunisia, and in 2001, she came third.
After her impressive performances, she received an offer from the French wrestling team US Metro, which she didn't pass up. She signed a four-year contract and joined the team in 2000.
In France, her path wasn't as smooth as she had imagined. «After arriving, I found myself alone, without family, sleeping on the streets and working several jobs to make ends meet. Fortunately, my coach Hamdi Adli helped me. He was like a second father to me», she recounted.
Later, she secured a job with RATP, the public transport company linked to US Metro. There, she met her husband, Saber Reklaoui, and is now a mother of three.
In an interview with Yabiladi, she said, «I dreamed of participating in the Olympic Games, but women's wrestling wasn't included in the Olympics until the Athens Games in 2004. By then, I had moved to France, married, had children, and lost touch with wrestling».
Return to Morocco
After years away from the ring, Amal decided to return in 2013, this time as a coach. She obtained several certifications and coached at various French clubs, including Olympic Lutte Dreux Atlas, US Metro, and Paris Lutte.
In 2017, she decided to return to Morocco with a project to train female wrestlers. She presented it to the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation, but was told there were no vacant positions. They suggested she enter the world of refereeing, which she accepted, participating in several courses and exams.
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«I participated in exams at the Arab level, and in the second year, I attended an exam at the African Games and obtained the third international grade. After a year, I got the second grade, then paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Afterwards, I obtained the first grade, and last year, I achieved the Olympic grade», she explained.
Olympic Games in Paris
Amal began aspiring to participate in the Olympic Games as a referee, having missed the chance as an athlete. Her journey wasn't easy.
With support from the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation, she participated in «the African Championship, then the African Championship qualifying for the Olympic Games. I was chosen to participate in the World Championship qualifier in Istanbul, and thankfully, I succeeded. After that, I was called for training in Greece».
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She continued, «I started my refereeing journey late. The referees with me have over 20 years of experience in the field. Thank God, with the help of the Federation and its president, I quickly advanced through the grades». Subsequently, she was chosen as one of 11 female referees to oversee matches at the recent Olympic Games in Paris.
«I didn't expect to participate in the Paris Olympics. I was planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Thank God, four years of serious work paid off, and I was among those qualified for the Paris Olympics», Amal said.
Amal was assigned to referee several matches and stated, «I received great praise, thank God», She explained that refereeing at the international level requires rigor and hard work to meet the high standards adopted in Europe and Asia.
She described her experience at the Olympic Games as «exceptional» and «a magical moment filled with emotion». She emphasized feeling greatly satisfied «when I leave the ring completely content with my performance», adding, «Completing my task with fairness and impartiality is the pinnacle of this experience for me. There's nothing more satisfying than feeling the responsibility of refereeing and knowing that every decision I made contributed to the integrity of the competition».
Amal confirmed that preparation for the matches she refereed began outside the ring. She made sure to prepare herself «mentally and physically to achieve the best performance as a referee. I start by reading some verses from the Quran, which helps me find the necessary tranquility and focus. Then I pray. After this spiritual preparation, I engage in physical training, as refereeing requires great agility and good physical fitness».
The Moroccan coach, who resides in Amboise, France, aims to join the refereeing committee of the International Wrestling Federation and work on developing the field of refereeing. She continues to coach in France and also works with the Royal Moroccan Wrestling Federation on all matters related to refereeing and training. She affirmed that she remains at the disposal of her country whenever needed.
Amal emphasized that all credit for her achievements goes to her late father, who spared nothing for her. She said, «My father deserves all the credit for my entry into the world of sports. He encouraged me and used to tell me, 'I know you'll reach the highest levels.' He was very proud of me and supported me a lot. Everything I do, I consider it an honor to my father's memory».
Besides sports, Amal is a member of an association in Amboise that helps children in difficult situations through sports, called «Association of Neighborhood Children».
