During these Games, which will bring together 182 nations and 22 sports, 38 Moroccan athletes will defend the national colours, in para athletics (motor and visual impairment), wheelchair tennis, para powerlifting, para taekwondo, para road cycling and blind football.
“In Paris, our goal is not only to participate, but to win as many medals as possible,” Mustapha Fkeoui, secretary general of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Sports for People with Disabilities (FRMSPSH), who leads the Moroccan Paralympic delegation, told MAP, which was warmly welcomed upon arrival at Paris’ Orly airport.
The athletes, he said, aspire to reach the highest levels of performance. “They are top athletes, already titled, and we are aiming not only for medals, but also for world records,” he continued.
“This is my fourth participation in the Paralympics and I am determined to achieve new performances and to get on the podium, as in previous editions,” declared Azzedine Nouiri, Moroccan athlete and Paralympic champion in the shot put.
“It’s a dream come true! Thanks to my title as African champion, I am now participating in the Paralympic Games. We have trained hard and we will give our all to obtain the best possible results,” said Najwa Awane, Moroccan wheelchair tennis player and champion.
In total, the Paralympic delegation comprises 85 members, including the 38 athletes, as well as technical, administrative, logistical and medical staff.
Morocco has won a total of 38 medals in its Paralympic Games appearances since Seoul 1988, including 16 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze. Para athletics took the lion’s share with 34 medals, while para swimming (Seoul 1988), para triathlon (Rio De Janeiro 2016), para powerlifting (London 2012) and five-a-side blind football (Tokyo 2020) took bronze.
Some 4,400 athletes, including at least 1,859 women, will take part in the Paris Paralympic Games, competing in 549 events, compared to 10,500 at the Olympic Games (July 26 to August 11).
Just like the Olympic Games, the 549 Paralympic events on the programme will benefit from exceptional settings in the French capital, such as Les Invalides for para archery, the Eiffel Tower for blind football, the Champ-de-Mars for para judo and wheelchair rugby, and the park of the Château de Versailles for para equestrianism.
2024-08-21 17:01:29