Morocco steps up grassroots sports development with 800 new pitches

Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, has announced the activation of approximately 800 local sports pitches this year as part of efforts to expand access to sporting facilities across the country.

The initiative is primarily targeting rural communities and the outskirts of major cities, responding to increasing demands from local authorities and residents for improved sports infrastructure.

Bensaid made the announcement on Wednesday while presenting his ministry’s sub-budget proposal before the Committee on Education, Culture and Communication at the House of Representatives.

He explained that expanding grassroots sports participation and ensuring equal access to sporting facilities across different regions remain key priorities for the ministry.

The minister stressed the importance of making sports accessible to every citizen, particularly those living in rural communities and underserved neighbourhoods. He also highlighted the need for stronger collaboration with local authorities, development partners and national sports federations to provide technical guidance and supervision at the grassroots level.

On the administration of sports federations, Bensaid disclosed that the ministry is taking steps to address governance and organisational challenges affecting several national associations.

He revealed that a committee had been established to give the affected federations deadlines to regularise their administrative and legal status before appropriate measures are taken.

Currently, interim committees are overseeing the Royal Moroccan Pétanque Federation and the Royal Moroccan Badminton Federation, while similar interventions are being considered for federations responsible for table tennis, swimming, cricket, hockey, kickboxing, shooting and motorcycling.

Bensaid also announced plans to review Morocco’s legislation governing sports federations to strengthen governance structures and update outdated provisions. The process will begin with consultations involving the various federations to gather their proposals and recommendations.

On stadium security, the minister outlined measures being implemented to combat hooliganism and other negative incidents associated with football matches.

These include modernising sporting venues through the installation of surveillance cameras and advanced monitoring systems in coordination with security authorities.

He also pointed to progress in tackling ticket touting and irregularities in match-ticket sales through the digitisation of ticket distribution, with supporters now relying on mobile applications rather than traditional paper tickets.

Additionally, Bensaid emphasised the responsibility of sports clubs in managing their supporters, contributing to security arrangements during major fixtures and coordinating the movement of fans between different regions.

Meanwhile, the minister revealed that Morocco has hosted nearly 100 major sporting events this year, underlining the country’s growing profile as a destination for international competitions.

Among the notable events highlighted were the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2026 Futsal Africa Cup of Nations and the Africa Under-23 Cup of Nations.

He also pointed to Morocco’s achievements in international football and futsal, alongside the performances of the country’s national teams and clubs, as evidence of the progress being made in the sports sector.