New Scapegoat: The Dissolution of the Technical Directorate in the Moroccan Boxing Federation Highlights the Crisis of Responsibility
In recent years, it has become common in Morocco for officials to offer a scapegoat from the technical directorate instead of resigning or being officially dismissed after each major failure. This pattern of handling administrative failures has become entrenched in administrative practices and reflects a reluctance to seriously confront responsibility.
Responsibility and Accountability: A Recurrent System of Offering Scapegoats
In a move familiar to officials at every Olympic cycle, the Moroccan Boxing Federation held an emergency meeting following the return of the delegation from Paris 2024, where it was decided to dissolve the technical directorate. According to the official statement, the meeting was attended by members of the executive bureau and regional heads, focusing on identifying the reasons for the failure, including the lack of qualification for the national boxing team in several regional and international competitions, as well as other failures at the Paris Olympics.
It is worth noting that this meeting is considered an attempt at “quick containment” of the situation, but the solution adopted was the same as always: offering a scapegoat from the technical directorate, a step repeated after each failure without addressing the root causes of the problems.
Repeated Failures: The Absence of Actual Resignations
In a similar context, many writers, journalists, and activists in Morocco observe that officials do not dare to resign in cases of failure or major crises facing their institutions. This may be attributed to the lack of “resignation etiquette” in Moroccan political culture, where officials cling to their positions despite clear failures and possible corruption under their management.
Additionally, questions are raised about the effectiveness of the solutions adopted, such as changing the technical directorate, without implementing concrete steps for reform and development. Some wonder: Why is there no real accountability applied to those leading sports institutions or ministries in Morocco? And why do these practices remain unchanged despite the continuous repetition of failures?
Returning to Old Practices: The Tokyo Olympic Failure Repeats Itself
“Just as after the Tokyo Olympics, where the same scenario of searching for a scapegoat to cover up the failure was repeated, it appears again in the failure of Moroccan boxing in Paris. The solutions offered seem to be limited to presenting the technical directorate as a scapegoat rather than addressing the root causes of our sports problems.”
At the end of each Olympic cycle, we find ourselves facing the same troubling scenario of searching for a scapegoat to bear the brunt of sports failures. After the disappointment of the Tokyo Olympics, which was the worst participation of Moroccan boxing in Olympic history, similar practices emerged again. It was clear that the head of the federation aimed to find a scapegoat to cover up the failure instead of facing the real responsibility. The coach faced criticism, and boxers made statements revealing deeper issues in the management of the federation.
What exacerbates the situation is that the head of the federation, Jawad Belhaj, who has been in office for 20 years, reduces the federation to his own persona and focuses on showcasing his interest rather than addressing core issues. Instead of discussing institutional improvements, he talks about initiatives like creating a television channel without providing clear details on how to achieve it.
These practices, which reflect the style of administration in totalitarian systems, reinforce the idea that Moroccan officials tend to look for a scapegoat rather than showing the courage to face real responsibility. Despite the passage of time and repeated failures, the need for fundamental reforms and genuine accountability remains crucial to avoid further failures in the future.
The Crisis of Leadership and Strategic Vision
The issue is not limited to sports failures alone but extends to all sectors suffering from a lack of competence and failure to offer actual resignations. This indicates a deeper problem related to the administrative culture in Morocco, where officials become unwilling to take personal responsibility and offer their resignations, reinforcing the idea that “Moroccan officials do not understand the etiquette of resignation.”
In conclusion, the situation in Morocco requires a reconsideration of administrative and accountability practices, and taking serious steps to reform the system and ensure genuine responsibility that goes beyond merely presenting a scapegoat from the technical directorate.
