Olympic Connections Celebrated at ISOH General Assembly

Olympic Connections Celebrated at ISOH General Assembly

by Philip Barker

Flashback to Olympia Morocco’s: Mouad Benouzekri with his winning entry. (click for a full-size view)

Mouad Benouzekri has celebrated receiving the trophy for the ISOH Poster competition by evoking the greatest moments of Moroccan Olympic history.

“Thank you for encouraging researchers and for giving a young Moroccan researcher a voice in the conversation,” said Benouzekri, a lecturer at the National Sports Institute who had been a Young Ambassador at the International Olympic Academy in 2026 when the competition was held.

The presentation was made by ISOH President Christian Wacker during the 2026 General Assembly at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The prize for the winner included an invitation to attend the GA.

“His poster was well prepared, the presentation was deep in knowledge and well presented, “said ISOH Executive Committee’s Education specialist Mariia Bulatova who had organised the competition alongside Tolga Şinoforoğlu with the cooperation of the International Olympic Academy.

This was the second year of the competition. The judging panel included 2025 winner Alex Iscru who also spearheaded efforts to promote the event on social media.

At the ISOH GA, Benouzekri gave a presentation which recalled the exploits of all who had represented Morocco in the Olympics since their first appearance as an independent nation when 47 competitors had travelled to Rome.

Morocco’s Abdeslam Radi took silver behind the legendary Abebe Bikila in a marathon along the Appian Way which is still remembered today.

“His medals belong to a history of athletics and to the history of a country finding its place, “said Mouad.

He highlighted the exploits at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles when 400m hurdler Nawal El Moutawakel became the first woman to win gold for Morocco followed by Said Aouita’s 5000m victory a few days later.

Mouad Benouzekri flanked by his parents Mennana and Abdessamed on the steps of the museum.

Benouzekri paid tribute to his parents Abdessamed and Mennana who joined him for the presentation Ceremony. and recalled his own early memories of sport.

“As a young Moroccan watching Hicham El Guerrouj it showed how can an athletes victory stayed us with years” he said.

It was the second time this year that Benouzekri had received a trophy in Lausanne. He had been a member of the victorious Moroccan team in the IOC Case Study Competition held in March.

“There were several moments I will carry with me,” he said in a social media message.

“Meeting Professor Jean-Loup Chappelet, whose work has helped shape my own academic research in recent years and hearing Olympic Studies Centre Head Mrs Maria Bogner speak about our team’s victory in the competition. I felt proud of what we had achieved together and grateful for the opportunities that followed. The research, the competitions, the people I had learned from, and the chance to share my own work, it all felt connected.”

ISOH was also delighted to welcome Amine Mohamed Belghit, representative of the Moroccan Embassy in Switzerland to the GA.

All the participants with their certificates.

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