Breaking olympics:The Moroccan innovator aiming for an Olympic gold medal
breaking olympics
Fatima Zahra El Mamouny of Morocco will always remember the day she qualified for the newest sport at the Olympics.
She not only made history by being the first woman globally to get a position in the groundbreaking Paris 2024 competition in May of last year, but she did so when her father was in the hospital undergoing surgery.
“It was quite depressing to receive the call on the same day as the African championship,” competitor B-Girl El Mamouny said to BBC Sport Africa.
“Can I dance while my dad is in the hospital?” I asked.
“After that, he gave me a call and told me to simply go for it and win it for me if you wanted me to be happy and healthy. And I fulfilled it for him.
El Mamouny’s triumph at the continental championships in Rabat demonstrated the extent to which she had changed people’s opinions, even her father’s, about North African women competing in breaking.
“I told him ‘this is for you’ when I went to visit him after getting my medal. He was overjoyed.
“He declared, ‘My heart was about to stop when I saw you in this competition!'” I have no words to express how happy he was. It was evident in his gaze.”
After B-Girl El Mamouny of Morocco won the 2023 African title, her countryman Bilal Mallakh, also known as B-Boy Billy, secured his spot in the men’s event at Paris 2024, capping an incredibly successful tournament for Morocco.
The two qualified as the first athletes for the sport’s first-ever Olympic participation.
Having studied aerobic exercise in the United States, she took her knowledge back to Morocco 28 years ago, and could only hope that one day one of her loves may become an Olympic sport.
We’re in Morocco at the moment. Hip hop originated in the streets of the Bronx, USA, and is a native American culture.
“The youth of the Bronx desired to use dancing as a means of self-expression. So they invented the battles – talking to each other through physical dance, and expressing their feelings, but also expressing optimism in life.
“And for that reason, breaking’s motto is love and peace. That’s my favorite thing.
Therefore, how is it that Morocco, a Muslim nation with vastly disparate customs and cultural values, is leading the charge in encouraging breaking?
“It was not accepted by Moroccan society 28 years ago,” Bennani clarified.
“I’m a lady, and I was young. Rap, graffiti, and hip hop are all aspects of manly culture. It was therefore exceedingly challenging.
“I was consistently turned down for partnerships and sponsorships. That seemed to bother the Ministry of Sport no end.
I’m not simply proud, then. I have won this war.”
Bennani has also made use of her position to inspire women in the area to participate in the sport as a means of education and potential career, in addition to just playing it.
Being in Paris will bring back memories for her.
“All of the African nations have won. We shall go as both the Moroccan kingdom and a component of the continent.”
‘Dance and art’ is what breaking is.
B-Girl El Mamouny is quick to emphasize that breaking “has no shame” and “is not a bad thing,” especially in response to inquiries about whether it belongs at the Olympics.
“I’m always trying to show that this is a sport, and a dance and an art,” she said.
It has the power to transport you from a horrible place to an amazing place.
“And to those who argue that it’s not a sport, I would advise them to attend our classes, practice the skills we demonstrate, and let’s see if you can pull it off. They’re really challenging.”
The Olympic tournament itself is scheduled to take place at the Place de la Concorde, where dancers will face off against each other in one-on-one matches set to music selected by a DJ.
At the conclusion of each combat, nine judges will cast votes to determine the winner.
Before the Olympic tournament, El Mamouny trains for three to four hours a day since fitness is crucial.
Enaama Elmarhraoui, a dancer known as B-Boy Kaw, is her mentor.
“In order to attain a superior level, we must adopt a new approach,” he stated to BBC Sport Africa.
