Al-Baqali: His Majesty the King’s telegram is an incentive to redouble efforts to honor my country

Heba Press: Rabat

Sofiane El-Bakali, Olympic and world champion in the 3,000 meters steeplechase, confirmed today Saturday in Salé that the congratulatory telegram from His Majesty King Mohammed VI represents “an incentive to make more efforts to honor my country in major sporting arenas.”

Al-Bakali said in a statement to the press after his arrival at Rabat-Salé airport that “this second Olympic victory at the Paris Olympic Games is a source of pride for me, and it is the result of the efforts made and intense training”, expressing his joy at granting Morocco the second consecutive Olympic medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase race.

He explained that “the first Olympic medal in Tokyo put extra pressure on me to give my best in Paris,” stressing that the second feat at the Olympic Games in the French capital was achieved despite the injury that happened to him in the middle of the season, and negatively affected his preparations for this international sporting event.

He added: “My first Olympic medal in Tokyo had a special taste, but the medal in Paris remains exceptional because I won it with the support of Moroccan fans, especially the Moroccan community living in France, who spared no effort to encourage and support me during the qualifying phase and in the final.

The Moroccan Olympic champion twice expressed his thanks to “all those who contributed to winning the Olympic medal for the second consecutive time.”

It is worth noting that the Moroccan champion achieved an exceptional feat at the Paris Olympic Games, as he retained his Olympic title in the 3000-meter steeplechase competition. He was preceded in this feat only by the Finnish Volmari Esso Hollo (1932 and 1936 Olympic Games).