Hicham El Guerrouj and Nezha Bidouane elected Moroccan Sportsman and
Sportswoman of the Year
MAP
18 December 2000 – Rabat – The athletes Hicham El Guerrouj and Nezha Bidouane have been named Moroccan Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year in a vote organised by the sports editorial of Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) Agency. MAP compiled the results with the participation of several different media organisations, both local and foreign, based in Morocco.
Hicham El Guerrouj, two-time 1500m World Champion (1997 and 1999) was voted Sportsman of the year, earning 68 points in the vote which took into account 31 written press and broadcasting organisations. 21 of these placed the 1500m world record holder as their favourite for three points, only one organisation placed him second for 2 points, and the remaining three voted him into third place for one point.
This reward is a just recompense for the El Guerrouj’s exploits in the year 2000, which include an Olympic silver medal for 1500m and the establishment of the year 2000 world best performances for 1500m (3:27.21 in Zurich) and Mile (3:45.96 in London).
This is the fifth year in which El Guerrouj has been nominated Moroccan Sportsman of the Year after 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999. He won all seven races in which he participated in 2000 (with the exception of the Sydney 2000 Olympic final where he placed second), five of which were at Golden League meetings. Even more exemplary, Hicham remains the only athlete still competing to hold five world records, three of which are outdoor records: the 1500m, Mile and 2000m, and two indoor records: 1500m and Mile.
The runner up to El Guerrouj with 37 points was Abdelkader Mouaziz, seventh in the Sydney 2000 Olympic marathon and winner of the New York marathon on 5 November. In addition, Mouaziz came second at the London marathon in April, where he performed 2.07.33 to set a personal best.
Ali Ezzine, the Olympic 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist took the third place with 26 points. The Sydney 2000 bronze was the third of his sporting career after those captured at the 1996 World Junior Championships in Sydney and the 1999 Seville World Championships. At the Paris St-Denis Golden League meeting on 23 June, Ezzine also set a new Moroccan 3000m steeplechase record (8:3.57), which has since been bettered by Brahim Boulami on two occasions.
As for the ladies, the 400m hurdles World silver medallist in 1999, Nezha Bidouane was elected Sportswoman of the Year. The 26 press organisations that took part in the vote were unanimous in placing her at the top of their lists (3 points).
Bidouane is the most titled Moroccan female athlete and also holds the African record in her discipline with 52sec 90/100. She started her 2000 season with a victory at the Golden Gala in Rome (53:53).
The "Zemmour gazelle" Zahra Ouaziz, Sportswoman of the year in 1999, took second place in the 2000 standings with 31 points. Despite a lengthy absence due to surgery on 6 July in France, Ouaziz is still worthy of this honour. She was the only athlete in the Moroccan team to bring home a medal (silver) from the World Cross Country Championships in Vilamoura (POR) in March, her first race of the 2000 season.
The third placing was given to tennis player Bahia Mouhtassine with 25 points, most notably for her African Championships crown in Algeria, and for winning the national title for her fourth consecutive year.
The results: Men:
1. Hicham El Guerrouj (Athletics) 68 Pts
2. Abdelkader Mouaziz (Athletics) 37
3. Ali Ezzine (Athletics) 26
4. Noureddine Naybet (Football) 23
5. Taher Tamsamani (Box) 21
6. Brahim Lahlafi (Athletics) 11
7. Naoufel Ben Azzouz (Thai-boxing) 5
8. Karim Alami (Tennis) 5
9. Younes El Aynaoui (Tennis) 3
10. Taher Kazkouz (Full Contact) 2
11. Brahim Boulami (Athletics) 1
Women:
1. Nezha Bidouane (Athletics) 78 Pts
2. Zahra Ouaziz (Athletics) 31
3. Bahia Mouhtassine (Tennis) 25
4. Amal Lahlali (Basketball) 11
5. Zahira El-Ghabi (Chess)
