On the eve of the beginning of the 4th edition of the World Youth Championships, The IAAFgave an official dinner during which famous Moroccan champions were honoured. They were warmly welcomed by the audience. The dinner was attended by the RMAF members (Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation) and prominent personalities from the Moroccan government. Here are the honoured athletes’ names and their biographies’ :

Said Aouita, 1500m world and Olympic champion (1987 / 1984), Khalid Sekkah: 10000m Olympic champion 1992, Nawal El Moutawakil, 400m hurdles Olympic champion 1984, Nezha Bidouane, 400m hurdles double Olympic champion (1997 / 2001), Moulay Brahim Boutayeb, 10000m Olympic champion (1988), and Hicham El Guerrouj, four times1500m world champion, 1500m and 5000m double Olympic champion (2004), were warmly applauded by the audience

Nawal El Moutawakil was the most highly honoured athlete by receiving “ Ordre de merite argent.”

Lamine Diack addressed a message of gratitude to the the Moroccan government and the RMAF officials for their non ending efforts to make of the 4th IAAF world Youth Championships a successful and an unprecedented event.

For his part, Hicham El Guerrouj thanked the IAAF for giving Morocco the Honor of hosting the 4th edition of the World Youth Championships. He expressed the whole nation’s dream of hosting the IAAF World Senior Championships as well.