Le Maroc promet une riposte ferme après l'échec d'une tentative terroriste dans la zone tampon    Maroc : remaniement législatif en vue dans les secteurs de l'énergie et des ressources    À Guelmim, le président du conseil communal affilié au RNI Hassan Talbi et dix-huit personnes condamnés pour détournement de fonds publics    Délocalisation vers le Maroc : la CGT s'oppose aux suppressions d'emplois chez JTEKT France    De la drôle de guerre commerciale à la stagflation    Alger réserve un accueil protocolaire minimal à Jean-Noël Barrot, chef de la diplomatie française    Le Maroc s'impose comme un médiateur fiable face au recul du rôle de l'Algérie dans la région du Sahel et du Sahara    Un Marocain condamné pour vols violents expulsé d'Espagne en vertu de l'article 89 du code pénal    Au Maroc, les loueurs de voitures scrutent un assainissement progressif du secteur et les effets régulateurs du nouveau cahier des charges    ONMT : ouverture des travaux de la convention Welcome Travel Group    Séisme en Birmanie : le bilan grimpe à près de 3.500 morts    Marathon des Sables 2025 : Triplé marocain dès la première étape    F1: Verstappen remporte le Grand Prix du Japon    L'Algérie construit des pistes militaires stratégiques près de la frontière marocaine    Rabat : Manifestation massive en soutien à Gaza et au peuple palestinien    Une Marocaine interpelle Microsoft sur le rôle de l'IA à Gaza, fait face à des «représailles» et reçoit le soutien du Hamas    Moroccan Cultural Days illuminate Paris's Latin Quarter    Moroccan calls out Microsoft on AI's role in Gaza, faces «retaliation» and gains Hamas support    Algeria builds strategic military airstrips near Moroccan border    L'Université Al Akhawayn rend hommage à Izza Génini, figure du documentaire marocain    Au cœur de Paris, la culture marocaine s'empare de l'emblématique Place Saint-Michel    Le Maroc, la "meilleure" porte d'entrée vers l'Afrique    Le nombre de personnes respirant un air très pollué peut être réduit de moitié d'ici à 2040    Football: Décès de l'ancien international marocain Mouhcine Bouhlal    16es Coupe du Trône : L'USMO éjecte le Raja et rejoint l'OCS en quart de finale !    Festivals de cinéma: plus de 6,7 MDH octroyés par le CCM pour 29 projets    Guerre tarifaire : le pétrole à son plus bas niveau pour la deuxième journée consécutive    Tarifs américains : Jaguar Land Rover suspend ses exportations vers les Etats-Unis    La mort de l'ancien international marocain Bouhlal à l'âge de 54 ans    Présentation à Paris du climat des affaires et des opportunités d'investissement au Maroc    Festivals cinématographiques : 29 manifestations soutenues pour un montant global de 6,8 millions de dirhams    La session printanière du 46e Moussem culturel international d'Assilah du 5 au 20 avril    CAN 2025 au Maroc : Hakimi, le leader d'une génération en quête de sacre    Interview avec Youran Hong : « Des milliers d'enfants profitent de nos bibliothèques et programmes éducatifs »    Le Maroc renforce sa préparation sécuritaire pour accueillir la Coupe du Monde 2030 et la Coupe d'Afrique 2025    Al Barid Bank : Une année 2024 marquée par une évolution remarquable de tous les indicateurs    Un air de Maroc à Saint-Michel : les Journées Culturelles Marocaines illuminent Paris    CAN U17 : Le Mali valide son billet pour les quarts et la CDM U17    Basket/BAL: Le FUS Rabat s'incline face à Al Ittihad d'Egypte    Convention de Welcome Travel Group: un coup d'accélérateur au tourisme maroco-italien    GITEX Africa Morocco: des exposants et des participants de 130 pays attendus à Marrakech    La météo pour ce samedi 5 avril    Dakhla: l'AMCI et Attijariwafa bank lancent un cycle de formation à l'entreprenariat    Casablanca : Les «églises informelles» dans le viseur du PJD    Sahara : le chef de la diplomatie espagnole dénonce «l'irresponsabilité» de ceux qui s'agrippent à des principes supposés de l'autodétermination pour figer le conflit    L'Humeur : Val Kilmer dans les bras de Jim Morrison    El Jadida : Ces agrès, qui subliment désormais le cadre du front de mer !    Le 30e SIEL rend un hommage posthume à l'écrivain Driss Chraïbi    







Merci d'avoir signalé!
Cette image sera automatiquement bloquée après qu'elle soit signalée par plusieurs personnes.



Mohamed El Marcouchi, a role model for Molenbeek's youngsters
Publié dans Yabiladi le 08 - 08 - 2017

Growing up in Molenbeek, one of the 19 municipalities in the Brussels-capital region known for crime and terrorism, Mohamed El Marcouchi worked hard to fight against prejudices. The 29-old-year Belgian-Moroccan boxer had to break up with the stereotype associated to immigrants living in Belgium being a role model and a good example for youths in Molenbeek.
Growing up in the hood was challenging for Moghamed El Marcouchi, a Belgian-Moroccan boxer who had to overcome the temptation to build a descent career. In an article published on Monday 7th of August, Al Arabiya English spoke to the young athlete discovering his journey.
The 29-old-year boxer was born and raised in Molenbeek, a region that was known for terrorism and crime. There he had to fight for his life and decide for his future. Before becoming a champion and a known boxer, El Marcouchi had to go through a lot. He embraced the world of sports when he was only 6 years old, playing Martial Arts. «I began with Karate because my father wa a Karate teacher in Molenbeek. I stopped when I was 12 and started roaming the streets with my friends» Mohamed told Al Arabiya English.
Roaming in the streets
For El Marcouchi, the temptation was high especially growing up in such a neighborhood. «Despite the good education my parents gave me at home, outside I was someone else», the boxer declared. «I was at the point to become a petty criminal» he said until boxing saved his life.
«After two years my cousin put me in my place and brought me into a boxing gym. I entered the gym and started to punch the bag. After a few minutes the coach called me on the ring for a sparring with one of his best young boxers. I did very well and the coach directly wanted me in his team. I enjoyed the challenge directly, it was full of adrenaline».
It is not only boxing that changed El Marcouchi's life and pushed him away from the hood and crime, it was also his father. Trying to drop out from school at the age of 16 after being peer pressured by his friends, Mohamed was given a moving advice by his father. «So one day I came at home and said to my father that I wanted to stop secondary because I wanted to work. Then my father took me in his car for a drive in the streets of Molenbeek by night and showed me the junkies who were at each corner of the streets. He told me is that what you want to become?» El Marcouchi recalled.
Saved by Boxing
Since then things started to take a different way for the young boxer. He started working part time and carried his studies. «At that time my daily life was going on the rhythm of school and boxing. In the morning I had 45 minutes in public transports from my home to my school. In the afternoon 45 minutes back to home and then 45 minutes to the boxing gym. I was sleeping every day in the bus. I started to reach a good level in amateur boxing. Boxing save me from the street», he stated.
El Marcouchi later on found another job at the social services of the municipality of Brussels. At the age of 20, he worked with Yvan Mayeur, the ex-mayor of Brussels. Speaking to the same source he added that «that job was perfect for me because it allowed me to train as I wanted. I was working a lot of extra hours in order to have more days off to train more and to fight abroad. From my 19 years to my 24 years I was competing for the Belgian national team of amateur boxing.»
However, El Marcouchi could not hide his frustration with the way Moroccans and immigrants in general were treated in Belgium. «I was representing a country that never fully accepted me. A country where I had to face a lot of discrimination because of my origin and my background», explained Mohamed adding that he was fed up with trying to justify himself.
«I am born and raised in Belgium; I wanted to show them that I was well integrated in the Belgian society. That gave me the will to become a boxing champion in order to prove that a young like me could succeed and show another image as Belgian of Moroccan origin.»
Chasing the American dream
Mohamed was twice named champion of Belgium, he represented the country in the Netherlands, Uk and Denmark. In 2012, El Marcouchi became a professional boxer despite the difficulties and obstacles that were put in his way. He decided right after to move to the USA and live the American dream. «Since my childhood I was always fascinated by the American boxers: Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones, Mike Tyson. I knew that if I wanted to succeed as a professional boxer I had to try my chance in the US. I came with my wife and my son to Miami», told Al Arabiya.
It was not easy back then too, as Mohamed had to work hard in order to gain success in a country where one should know how to seize every single opportunity. «I started training in Muhammad Ali's boxing gym, the 5th Street Gym. I was living on the 37th and was walking every day 8km to come to train. I was so determined», El Marcouchi narrated.
He trained everyday but saw no progress, no offers and in the moment he was about to lose hope and go back to Belgium, El Marcouchi received an offer and had to sign his first contract in the USA. However, «The contract planned only 4 boxing match. It was not advantageous for me and didn't offer me interesting future prospects for my career. After two years I asked a release of my contract. I was training alone with my coach in the shadow. And since then I have 19 victories and only one defeat».
A champion and a role model
In 2016, Mohamed El Marcouchi was planning to enter the World Boxing Council (WBC), one of four major organizations which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization. He then met someone who was responsible for the African title, who insisted that El Marcouchi can play for the African belt on the 8th of April in Marrakech. «On the night of the fight, before entering the ring I made a replay in my head. I saw all the way, and everything I suffered from Molenbeek to the US. I knew that I had the support of my family, of people in Morocco, in Belgium, in the US. I couldn't lose! It was an inexplicable feeling».
Indeed, Mohamed won the battle and made his way to the WBC. It was a victory that opened his eyes and made him think of all the young people in his neighborhood, Molenbeek. «I feel as an ambassador of my two countries, Belgium and Morocco. I want to show to people that despite our cultural differences we are not so different. We have the chance to have this double culture. We need to play this card and to show what we really are», he argued.
Now Mohamed El Marcouchi believes that Molenbeek's youngsters need him. «Hopefully I was lucky to find the good people in the good moment. My father was always supervising me and speaking to me despite we are 7 brothers and sisters. But in some families there is no communication between the children and the parents. How these kids can build their identity of their parents, who are often the first models, are missing?»


Cliquez ici pour lire l'article depuis sa source.