Morocco’s U19 national boxing team secured four bronze medals at the World Boxing U19 Championships (also known as the World Boxing Futures Cup) held from March 8 to 15 at the Indoor Stadium Huamark in Bangkok, Thailand.
The competition is an international amateur boxing tournament for athletes under the age of 19 organized by World Boxing, the sport’s new global governing body.
Morocco’s four bronze medals were won by:
- Marouane Jaafari—70 kg category
- Mohamed Ouahbi—+91 kg category
- Rihab Hamdoune—51 kg women’s category
- Aya Sebai—65 kg women’s category
The 2026 edition is an important milestone for the Royal Moroccan Boxing Federation (FRMB). The four bronze medals mark Morocco’s first major result since the federation officially joined World Boxing and the country’s official arrival on this new international circuit.
The event in Bangkok brought together more than 450 boxers from 78 national federations, making it one of the largest youth competitions under the new World Boxing structure.
The tournament was contested across 10 weight categories for both men and women, offering young fighters a key platform to gain international experience.
Technical staff behind the achievement
The Moroccan delegation was led by Cuban coach Juan Carlos Ferrer, assisted by Najim Abdellaoui, Yassine Mechhabi, and Zahra Zahraoui, with Mustapha Abissa serving as physical trainer.
While the U19 competition is relatively new, Morocco has already produced historic achievements in other international boxing events.
In 2023 for instance, Khadija El Mardi made history by becoming the first Moroccan, African, and Arab woman to win a gold medal at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.