Soufiane Bakkali Wins Morocco’s First Medal with Gold. Makes History at Tokyo 2020 Olympics : August 2021

Soufianne El Bakkali. Steeplechase runner. Athlete

Soufianne el Bakkali makes history, ends Kenya’s 3000m steeplechase domination.

The last time Kenya entered the 3000m stepplechase and did not finish first was the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, 57 years ago.

He thus became the first non-Kenyan born athlete to win the gold at the Olympics or World Championships since 1987.

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pix: Soufiane El Bakkali, of Morocco celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP) / www.arabnews.com

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MOROCCO

Mutaz Essa Barshim Wins 2nd Gold Medal For Qatar, Tokyo 2020 Olympics : July 2021

Mutaz Essa Barsham. Track and Field Athlete. High Jump.

Mutaz Barshim high jumper claims a first ever gold medal in the track and field with victory in the men’s high jump.

 High jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy share gold medal

The pair had a choice of a jump-off for one gold or shared medals, and they chose the latter because of their longtime friendship.

Both high jumpers were perfect until the bar was set to the Olympic-record height of 2.39 meters (7 feet, 10 inches). Each missed three times.

Earlier Wins:

  • National record holder
  • Asian record holder with a best mark of 2.43 m (7 ft 11+12 in).
  • Winner, gold medal at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics in London
  • Winner at 2019 World Championships in Athletics in Doha.
  • Winner bronze at the London 2012 Summer Olympics
  • Winner silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio
  • Winnr gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo.
  • Asian Indoor and World Junior champion in 2010
  • Winner – high jump gold medals at the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships  
  • Winner at 2011 Military World Games

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pix: twitter.com/TamimBinHamad/status

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QATAR

Fares Elbakh Makes History. Becomes Qatar’s First Olympic Champion. Wins Gold Medal, Tokyo 2020 Olympics : July 2021

Fares Elbakh (aka) Fares El-Bakh (aka) Fares Ibrahim Sayed Hassouna El-Bakh (aka) Meso Hassouna. Weightlifter. Athlete.

Sets new Olympic record with gold in 96kg men’s weightlifting final,with Keydomar Giovanni Vallenilla Sanchez winning silver and Anton Pliesnoi making the bronze .

The Qatari El-Bakh put up 177kg in the snatch before sliding into the clean and jerk and setting an Olympic record in that lift with a weight of 225kg. It was one of two Olympic records he broke on the night — along with a massive combined score of 402 that was too much for any of his competitors on the day to even approach.

Elbakh set two new Games records in Tokyo as he won Qatar’s sixth Olympic medal and second in weightlifting.

The gold medal is a first-ever Olympic title for Qatar.

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pix: Team Qatar @qatar_olympic

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QATAR / EGYPT

Mosana Debesay: First Black African Woman Cyclist at the Tokyo Olympics : July 2021

Massana Debesai (aka) Mosana Debesay. Professional Racing Cyclist.

Wins:

  • Winner 1st Place – African Championship 2019, Bahridar, Ethiopia
  • Winner – African Championship Road Race, 2018

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pix: shabait.com

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ERITREA

Abdulla Al-Rashidi Wins Kuwait’s First Medal, Tokyo 2020 Olympics : July 2021

Abdullah Al-Rashidi. Sports Shooting. Skeet. Athlete.

A seven time Olympian who won a bronze medal for Kuwait at the Tokyo Olympics.

It was Abdullah Al-Rashidi’s second Olympic medal but first for his country.

“I am 58 years old. I am the oldest shooter and the bronze medal is worth more than gold for me. I am very happy for this medal, but I hope for a gold medal at the next Olympics,” he told the Olympic information service at the Asaka shooting range.

In the 2016 Rio Olympics Al-Rashidi competed as an individual Athlete winning a Bronze medal.

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pix: indiansinkuwait.com

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KUWAIT

Seif Issa Wins Egypt’s 2nd Medal, Tokyo 2020 Olympics : July 2021

Seif Issa. Athlete. Taekwondo.

Taekwondo fighter Seif Issa won the second bronze medal for Egypt after beating Andre Richard Ordemann of Norway 12-4 in the Men’s –80kg contest.

This is Egypt’s second medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as Egyptian Taekwondo fighter Hedaya Malak also secured a bronze medal after beating Paige Mcpherson of USA 17-6 on Monday.

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pix: www.sis.gov.eg

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EGYPT

Hedaya Malak Wins Egypt’s First Medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics : July 2021

Hedaya Malak Wahba (aka) Hedaya Malak. Athlete. Taekwondo.

Hedaya Malak Wahba defeated the United States of America’s Paige McPherson 17-6 in the bronze-medal event of the women’s 67kg Taekwondo event, winning Egypt’s first medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Hedaya became the first Arab woman to win two consecutive Olympic medals in Taekwondo, a great achievement for the Egyptian champion

She was also winner of the bronze medal in 2016 Olympics after defeating Raheleh Asemani of Belgium in the Repechage.

First/s :

  • First woman in Egypt’s history to carry the flag at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
  • First Egyptian Woman to win a medal in Taekwondo at the Olympics
  • Hedaya became the first Arab woman to win two consecutive Olympic medals in Taekwondo, a great achievement.

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Taekwondo at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women’s 57 kg. Hedaya Malak (Egypt), bronze medal / Tasnim News Agency /pix: /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedaya_Malak /

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EGYPT

Tunisian Teen Ahmed Hafnaoui – Grabs Glory. Wins First Arab Gold Medal in Swimming, at Tokyo Olympics : July 2021

Ahmed Hafnaoui. Athlete. Swimming

Ahmed Hafnaoui creates history, wins first Arab gold in men’s 400m freestyle swimming.

The 18-year-old raced a sizzling final 50m to touch in 3:43.36 and overhaul Australian Jack McLoughlin (3:43.52) and US swimmer Kieran Smith (3:43.94), who took bronze.

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pix: www.bbc.com/sport/

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TUNISIA

Tunisia’s Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi – First Arab to Win Tokyo Olympics Medal in Taekwondo : July 2021

Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi. Athlete. Taekwondo.

Tunisian taekwondo player Mohamed Khalil Al-Jandubi won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after losing the 58kg final to Italy’s Vito Delaquila on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Gindobi in the semi-finals defeated 2019 world champion Jang Joon of Korea and world number one earlier in the day.

This is the first Arab medal at the Tokyo Games to date.

Jendoubi’s medal was Tunisia’s second taekwondo Olympic medal after Oussama Oueslati won bronze in the 80kg category in 2016.

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pix: twitter.com/DZfoot_EN/

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TUNISIA

HISTORY RECORDS : Today : July 23rd – Morocco’s King Hassan II, 22nd Anniversary of his Passing Away

 Today’s date marks the 22nd anniversary of King Hassan II’s death.

The Moroccan monarch was in power from 1961 until his death in 1999. 

The late King was seen by many in Morocco as a celebrated diplomat, a charismatic Moroccan figure . 

King Hassan II was 32 years old when he acceded to the throne following the untimely death of his father King Mohammed V at 51 years of age. 

Hassan II made his first diplomatic steps in January 1943, during the Anfa Conference in the residential suburb of Casablanca, alongside Churchill and Franklin Roosvelt . He was thirteen at the time. 

Hassan II’s 38 year reign over the Kingdom still shapes facets of Moroccan politics and society today. He adapted Morocco to the harsh realities of the post-colonial modern world, while preserving the country’s traditions and roots.


Hassan II was driven by the dream of recovering  Moroccan territories lost during the colonial era. A quest he undertook as soon as he got to power. Morocco’s territorial integrity was strengthened during his reign, thanks to the recovery of three Moroccan territories taken away during colonization: Sidi Ifni in 1969, Saquia el Hamra in 1975 and finally Oued ed Dahab in 1979.

On November 6, 1975, King Hassan II of Morocco made a historic speech calling on the Moroccan people to undertake a long peaceful march south to liberate the Western Sahara from Spanish occupation.

The Green March was an unprecedented event in the history of the 20th century, which gathered 3.5 million volunteers from all over the country and put an end to Spanish colonial rule in the Sahara without the use of violence.

Hassan II also led Morocco through a ruthless global cold war. The Moroccan monarch took advantage of a series of regional and international crises to embolden the country’s strategic role in the region, as well as on the international scene. 

Morocco became a bulwark against communism in the Maghreb and Arab World, as most countries in Africa were leaning towards the left after gaining independence from western empires. 

King Hassan II also helped bring about the 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.  He was involved in the subsequent agreements between the Palestine Liberation Organization, Jordan, and Israel. 

Morocco’s current political stability is also a part of Hassan II’s legacy. As his reign coincided with the decolonization era in southern countries, most African neighbors did not stand the test of the skillfully orchestrated power vacuum left by their former colonizers. 

King Hassan II’s funeral brought important delegations from all continents. World leaders, including former president of the US Bill Clinton, attended the funeral.

source/content : moroccoworldnews.com

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pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO