chargement...
A week after the loss of the 1,500m indoor record held by former Moroccan athlete Hicham El Guerrouj, Yahya Saidi, a specialist in sports regulations, put his two cents in the matter by suggesting on social media that the list of national athletes would not be so good if they did not engage in doping. The allegations made the Ministry of Youth and Sports react by rejecting any attack on the «sporting history of Moroccan champions».
«The statements do not emanate from the ministry and are the sole responsibility of their authors,» the department of Rachid Talbi Alami said in an update relayed by MAP news agency, rejecting any link with said comments. The ministry says it has «institutional mechanisms to communicate with all media on issues related to sport». It also expressed its «pride in the integrity and authenticity» of the titles won by the Moroccan champions, as well as the high level they showed at national and international sporting events, while considering them as «models to look up to».
On the airwaves of sport-focused Radio Mars, Hicham El Guerrouj also commented on the situation of the national athletes deploring the lack of opportunities given to young people from modest backgrounds to unleash their talents.
In this sense, the former athlete said he was disappointed with the state of local sports infrastructure that is not fit for the emergence of new generations of athletes. Young professionals «do not even find places to shower» after training. «Instead, we focus on building big infrastructure, with walls and concrete and we miss the essential matters,» he regrets, calling for a royal intervention to «save athleticism in Morocco».
