"It's no easy for Morocco to manage to etch its name in the annals of world sporting competitions," he told MAP news agency, before stressing that "the secret of this achievement lies in the existence of a judicious policy, under the enlightened leadership of HM King Mohammed VI."

He added that Morocco has succeeded in making sports, across all disciplines, a lever for development and prosperity, a feat which is much admired in Latin America, all the more so as the Kingdom has now established itself as one of the world's leading sporting nations.

"We still remember the historic feat achieved by the Atlas Lions at the Qatar World Cup, and today the saga continues with the Atlas Lionesses at the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. It is therefore clear that the performance achieved by Moroccan athletes at this edition of the Francophonie Games reflects the great development of sport in Morocco on all levels," he concluded.

Morocco won a total of 58 medals at the 9th edition of the Francophonie Games, organized by the Democratic Republic of Congo, topping the rankings for the first time in its history.

By discipline, Morocco won 42 medals in athletics, 8 in judo, 5 in road cycling, 2 in wrestling and another in ball juggling.