ANOC Awards Kamal Lahlou the Grand Cordon of Sporting Merit

/ Mohamed Abou Sahl /

Eight years after the birth of the International Day of Sport within the United Nations, the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), meeting in congress in the Greek city of Crete on 24 October 2021 and in the presence of representatives from more than two hundred countries, marked a historic moment by paying tribute to Professor Kamal Lahlou. Filled with respect, recognition and appreciation, the honour celebrated his initiative that gave sport an International Day at the United Nations, observed every year on 6 April, a universal occasion that highlights the value of sport in the service of development and peace. The congress of the Association of National Olympic Committees awarded him the Grand Cordon of Sporting Merit, and the attendees praised the distinguished presence of Morocco's Kamal Lahlou, representative of the Olympic Committee and first vice-president, as well as his contribution to sport at the national and international levels and his unwavering commitment to defending the Olympic ideal and sporting values. His is a journey spanning more than half a century: a practising athlete, an educator, a teacher and pedagogical mentor, a journalist and media entrepreneur across all its forms, print, television and radio, in addition to his contributions to advancing the culture of marketing in sporting events, a field in which he was the pioneer and trailblazer…
Thus, the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees adorned Morocco's Kamal Lahlou with the Grand Cordon of Sporting Merit, a refined gesture aimed at doing the man justice and encouraging creativity and reflection. Professor Kamal Lahlou remains the model of the sport devotee, a fertile ground for education, training and the building of generations, a space for development and peace and a vehicle for noble human values…

/ Mohamed Abou Sahl //