Morocco’s El Amin Chentouf Smashes Own Paralympic Record to Win T12 Marathon Gold : Tokyo 2020 : September, 2021

El Amin Chentouf. Athlete. Paralympic Athlete.

Veteran El Amin Chentouf of Morocco defended his title in the T12 marathon for visually impaired athletes, smashing his own Paralympic record by over three minutes to finish in 2:21:43.

The 40-year-old retains his title after finishing more than more than four minutes ahead of silver medallist Clifford.

Further back in the field, Tunisian’s Wajdi Boukhili had been well placed to take the bronze until the 40km mark, where both he and compatriot Hatem Nasrallah slowed up to finish sixth and fourth, respectively. The bronze medal went to Tadashi Horikoshi of Japan.

Chentouf’s gold was the fourth for Morocco during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, all of which have been won in athletics. Abdeslam Hili and Ayoub Sadni won gold in the men’s 400m in the T12 and T47 classes, respectively, and Zakariae Derhem topped the podium in the men’s shot put F33 class.

source/content : thenationalnews.com

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pix: moroccolatestnews.com

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MOROCCO

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

Mohamed Benchaaboun Named Africa’s ‘Finance Minister of the Year’ : June 23rd, 2021

The African Banker, a quarterly magazine that covers Africa-related financial news, has named Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Benchaaboun as Africa’s “Finance Minister of the Year.

The winners of the 2021 edition of the African Banker Trophies were celebrated on June 23, 2021, during the prestigious awards ceremony, organized on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank.

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pix: moroccolatestnews.com

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MOROCCO

Samir Zaim-Sassi: American Movies’s, 8-Year-Old Moroccan-American Star

Samir Zain-Sassi. Hollywood Actor.

The 8-year old young actor from Connecticut works out of New York City and Los Angeles and has been playing different roles in the entertainment industry for three years.

Appearance/s (few):

  • No Longer Suitable for Use (2021)

Short Film:

  • 1 out of 30 (2019)

Commercials:

  • Elmo Brite Brush commercial
  • Nintendo Switch

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AMERICAN (U.S.A) / MOROCCAN

UNICEF Morocco Appoints Achraf Hakimi ‘Champion for Children’ – May 2021

The UNICEF office in Morocco announced the appointment of Moroccan international football star Achraf Hakimi as children’s rights champion.

Hakimi, 22, is triumphing not only in his humanitarian works but also in his football career.

The football player is a key element in both his international club Inter Milan and Morocco’s national team.

UNICEF launched the initiative to appoint public figures from all fields, including arts, academics, and sports among others to engage in its efforts to help raise awareness of children’s rights.

Champions for Children are prominent individuals from arts, music, academics, ICT, sports, community-based organizations, or other fields who help to raise awareness of children’s rights.

The initiative is in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is the “most widely ratified human rights treaty in history,” UNICEF said.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com

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pix: Moroccan football player Achraf Hakimi. Photo: UNICEF

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MOROCCO

Naima Lamcharki Wins Best Actress at Malmo International Arab Film Fest : April 2021

Moroccan actress Naima Lamcharki won the best actress award at Sweden’s 11th annual Malmo International Arab Film Festival (MAFF). 

In the film “L’Automne des Pommiers” (Autumn of the Apple Trees), directed by Moroccan director Mohamed Mouftakir, Lamcharki plays the role of a wisdom-filled grandmother, filling a crucial role in the film’s unique dynamic. 

Along with the Malmo International Arab Film Festival, the film won awards at the Moroccan Film Festival of Tangier. Namely, the prize for the Best Picture 2020, the Critics Prize 2020, and the Prize for the Federation of Cineclubs 2020.

Naima Lamcharki has accomplished many other great feats throughout her career as an actress. Starring in films like The Garden of Eden (1998) and Bad Faith (2006), her career in the international film industry dates back to 1958. 

Two years ago, Moroccan actress Fatima Atif won the best actress award at the ninth edition of the Malmo Arab Film Festival for her role in the film “The Healer”, where the director was Moroccan.

source/content: www.moroccoworldnews.com

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pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO

Mohamed Mechbal Awarded 2021 King Faisal Arabic Literature Award : February 2021

Professor Dr Mohamed Mechbal has been awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Arabic Literature in recognition of his project ‘ The New Rhetoric ‘.

The King Faisal Foundation initiated the award in 1977. The award recognizes the exceptional contributions of five groups of individuals and institutions. These include,  service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic language and literature as well as medicine, and science.

Currently he is Professor, Rhetoric and Literary criticism, University of AbdelMalek Essadi, Tetoun, Morocco

Award/s:

  • Sheikh Zayed Prize for Critical Studies 2018
  • Katara Prize for Critical Studies 2018

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pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO

Robert Purvis, Moroccan-American Who Helped 9,000 Slaves Gain Freedom

Robert Purvis.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1810, Robert Purvis was the grandchild of a woman known as Dido Badaracka. She was captured in Morocco at the age of 12 and transported to the US to serve as a slave.

According to American historian Margaret Hope Bacon, Purvis described his Moroccan grandmother as a “full-blooded Moor of magnificent features and great beauty. She had crisp hair and a stately manner.”

Purvis received his early education in Philadelphia at the Clarkson Hall, a school for black children, run by the Pennsylvania Abolition Society — one of the first organizations ever to advocate for ending slavery in the US. He also studied at Amherst Academy in Massachusetts.

Robert Purvis became a prominent officer of the American Anti-Slavery Society. He also served as president of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society between 1845 and 1850.

Robert Purvis, as the main organizer of the network, earned the nickname “The President of the Underground Railroad.”

The US Embassy in Morocco has paid tribute to Robert Purvis, an American man of Moroccan descent who dedicated his life to the abolition of slavery.

source: www.moroccoworldnews.com/yahya hatim

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pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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U.S.A / MOROCCAN-AMERICAN

Farid Azakan – Leader of DENK , Dutch Political Party in Dutch House of Representatives : 2020

Farid Azarkan – Dutch politician serving as leader of the Denk party in the House of Representatives since 2020.

He has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2017.

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pix: en.wikipedia.org / By MRE24 – YouTube Channel MRE24.com, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org

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DUTCH / MOROCCAN-DUTCH / ARAB EUROPEAN

Moroccan Nidal Benali to Represent the UN Youth Engagement Group

Nidal Benali is the first Moroccan to represent the UN Major Group for Children and Youth.

The United Nations has appointed Al Akhawayn University Graduate Nidal Benali to represent the UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UN MGCY.)

Benali will serve as one of its Global Focal Points for Peace and Security. The appointment makes him the first Moroccan under the age of 30 to be granted this diplomatic honor.

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pix: moroccoworldnews.com

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MOROCCO