Moroccan athletes have recently gotten accustomed to widespread nomination and recognition with respect to international sports award programs, such as FIFA and CAF, not to mention the coveted Ballon D’Or. Now, all eyes are on these athletes as they gear up for the 12th Mohamed Ben Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards (MBRA), where their talents and sportsmanship take center stage once again in the winners’ circle.
Moroccan athletes’ performances and prowess were spectacles to behold in numerous categories, securing a total of six awards and placing Morocco as the second most decorated country after the United Arab Emirates, as announced on Wednesday by the official MBRA Awards website.
The Moroccan national football team earned the Arab Team of the Year Award after setting new records in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The Atlas Lions ended up being the first Arab and African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, in addition to being the first African team to reach the quarterfinals since 2010.
They also hold the record for the most goals scored by an Arab team in WC history, netting 19.
Coach Walid Regragui 47, recognized as the Arab Coach of the Year, led Morocco to group supremacy and the Arab quarterfinals in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. He secured the third spot globally among the best coaches, according to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
Regragui was the first Arab coach to achieve such results and was also named the best Moroccan coach in 2014, 2016, and 2022, securing countless championships with a diverse group of squads.
Soufiane El-Bakkali garnered the Sustainable Achievements Sports Award for his consistent high-level performances, and took home gold medals at the Budapest 2023 and Eugene 2022 World Athletics Championships in the 3000m steeplechase.
He also earned silver and bronze medals at the London 2017 and Doha 2019 World Athletics Championships, as well as gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Diamond League Athletics, London 2017, and Doha 2019.
Khadija Mardi received the Arab Athlete of the Year award for her outstanding performances, including gold at the World Championship in New Delhi 2023 and silver in Istanbul 2022. She also secured gold in the African Championship in Mozambique in 2022 and ranks number one globally in the 81+kg weight class.
Bouchra Karboubi earned the Arab Referee Award. She made history as the first Arab female referee to officiate in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 final, adding to her achievements in the African Cup Men’s Final 2021 and Throne Cup Men’s Final in Morocco this year.
Malak El Allami received the “Arab Emerging Athlete Achievement of Outstanding Success in Sports Award” for remarkable achievements in tennis, securing gold in the African Under-16 Tennis Championships in Tunisia in 2022.
Launched in 2009 under Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the Creative Sports Award aims to promote entrepreneurship, sports creativity, and community empowerment by honoring exceptional individuals, teams, and organizations.
The Award emphasizes athletes’ accomplishments and underscores the role of sports in fostering human creativity. The final award ceremony is scheduled for January, 2024, as reported by an awards program website press release.