Who Is Widad Bertal, the Moroccan Boxer Who Won Gold at the World Championships?
Rabat – Moroccan boxer Widad Bertal won the gold medal in the 54kg category at the Women's World Boxing Championships in Nis, Serbia on Sunday. Her victory added another major achievement to her already impressive career.
After her win, Bertal expressed her joy and dedicated her gold medal to King Mohammed VI – calling him the 'first sportsman' – as well as to the Moroccan people. She also thanked Jouad Belhaj, the president of the Royal Moroccan Boxing Federation, along with her national team coaches and her club, Energic Boxing Club.
'This gold medal is for the first sportsman, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan people, and everyone who supported me,' Bertal told SNRTnews following her win.
Bertal's road to the world title was not easy. She missed an important training camp in Belgrade due to an injury but was able to resume preparation in Montenegro. Her hard work paid off as she dominated her opponents in the tournament and eventually defeated Turkey's Hatice Akbas in the final match.
Born on August 31, 1999, Bertal is no stranger to success. She has already won the African Championship three times in a row, in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
She also won one of the bronze medals at the 2022 African Amateur Boxing Championships held in Maputo, Mozambique.
For Bertal, 'This is just the beginning' and she is keen on achieving further success and winning more titles.
In addition to Bertal's victory, Morocco also celebrated the bronze medal Sanaa Larti won in the 81kg category.
Speaking about the team's performance, Nabil Hilmi, the Vice President of the Royal Moroccan Boxing Federation, commended both boxers for their achievements.
'Winning these medals was not easy, even though our goal was to achieve more,' Hilmi said. He noted that Morocco was close to winning two more medals, but faced tough challenges, including a lack of experience and difficult draws against top-ranked fighters.
Hilmi noted the need for continued effort and a collaborative approach to ensure Moroccan boxing remains competitive on the world stage.
'We hope to build on this success and achieve even better results in the future for both the men's and women's teams,' he said.
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