In the final match of the boxing qualification tournament for the 2024 Olympics in the Africa zone, held at the Dakar Arena Sports Complex in Diamniadio, located 30 km from the Senegalese capital, El Mardi defeated Kenyan boxer Andiego Elizabeth Adhiambo by a score of 5-0.

El Mardi's victory earned her the gold medal at this qualification tournament, which took place from September 9 to 15. She will now join her fellow Moroccans, Widad Bertal and Mouttaki Yasmine, who secured their Olympic qualifications on Thursday.

Unfortunately, the three other Moroccan male boxers, Said Mortaji (51 kg), Ayoub Maânni (92 kg), and Mohamed Firisse (+92 kg), were eliminated in the semifinals of the tournament, which featured boxers from 43 countries, including Morocco, represented by a team of 13 boxers.

The Moroccan national team, coached by Abdelhak Achik and Youssef Sourour under the supervision of National Technical Director Othmane Fadili, included Yasmine Mouttaki (50 kg), Widad Bertal (54 kg), Laela El Ksiri (57 kg), Nissrine Amine (60 kg), Oumaima Belhabib (66 kg), and Khadija El Mardi (75 kg) among the women.

In the men's category, led by Hicham Nafil, seven Moroccan boxers represented the nation: Saïd Mourtaji (51 kg), Soulaïmane Essemghouli (57 kg), Abdelhaq Nadir (63.5 kg), Mohamed Rabii (71 kg), Mohamed Assaghir (80 kg), Ayoub Maânni (92 kg), and Mohamed Firisse (+92 kg).

The Moroccan delegation for this African competition was led by former World Champion Khalid Kandili, who serves as the Vice-President of the Royal Moroccan Boxing Federation (FRMB).

At the Dakar Arena, African boxers were competing for 18 qualifying spots for the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Tournament (TQO), with eleven allocated to women and seven to men.

For those who did not secure an Olympic quota in Dakar, there are two more opportunities at the world TQOs: one in Busto Arzizio, Italy, from February 29 to March 12, 2024, and another in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 23 to June 3, 2024.