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Ilias Fifa, of Moroccan origin obtained the gold medal in the 5,000 m at the European Athletics Championship in Amsterdam.
Jul 12, 2016 - 2:11 PM
From hiding under a lorry to Spanish European champion in only ten years
Ilias Fifa, of Moroccan origin obtained the gold medal in the 5,000 m at the European Athletics Championship in Amsterdam.
Jul 12, 2016 - 2:11 PM
Since he smuggled his way into Spain, when just 17 years old, by hiding on the axle of a lorry from his native Tangiers into Spain. Ilias Fifa has been training under Rafa Caro which resulted in his success on Sunday.
With Spanish nationality since July 2015, Fifa never attended calls from Morocco because he had decided to run for Spain ‘I did not risk my life coming her for nothing. I feel Spanish’, he then declared.
On his arrival on the peninsular he was admitted to a minors centre in Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, and then through other immigrant centres until he obtained a flat in Barcelona, under the tutelage of the Catalan Generalitat.
His athletic life when he joined the Cataluña Athletics Group, where he was assessed by his first trainer, Esther Rodríguez, before moving to his current trainer, Rafa Caro.
He then joined the Athletics section of Barcelona FC, a shirt he wares today in competition.
Hard training and much sacrifice began to bear fruit – he won the sprint by milliseconds and needed 200m to start thinking of medals ‘I was running and thought at 50m if I push a bit I may come third. After crossing the line and 1 saw Fifa at number one on the scoreboard – it was an historic moment for me’
In difference to his counterpart Adel Mechaal, who has been training with him in Cataluña, is a sympathiser for Catalan independence, but Fifa has no problem running with the Spanish flag as he did on his lap of honour when champion of Europe.
Most of his family remain in Morocco, where his mother has watched him triumph on television and when he dedicated his medal ‘I dedicate my medal to my training companions for the Spanish Athletics Federation, Barcelona FC and my family’
Adel Mechaal however has been embroiled in controversy, when he said he carried the Spanish flag ‘only for respect’. This athlete was born in Tetuan, and lives on the Costa Brava, and has given Spain two medals this year, the bronze in the European Cross and silver in the 5,000m.
The Olympic final for the 5,000 m in Rio is the common objective of these two Moroccans.
Ilias Fifa - YouTube
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With Spanish nationality since July 2015, Fifa never attended calls from Morocco because he had decided to run for Spain ‘I did not risk my life coming her for nothing. I feel Spanish’, he then declared.
On his arrival on the peninsular he was admitted to a minors centre in Santa Perpetua de Mogoda, and then through other immigrant centres until he obtained a flat in Barcelona, under the tutelage of the Catalan Generalitat.
His athletic life when he joined the Cataluña Athletics Group, where he was assessed by his first trainer, Esther Rodríguez, before moving to his current trainer, Rafa Caro.
He then joined the Athletics section of Barcelona FC, a shirt he wares today in competition.
Hard training and much sacrifice began to bear fruit – he won the sprint by milliseconds and needed 200m to start thinking of medals ‘I was running and thought at 50m if I push a bit I may come third. After crossing the line and 1 saw Fifa at number one on the scoreboard – it was an historic moment for me’
In difference to his counterpart Adel Mechaal, who has been training with him in Cataluña, is a sympathiser for Catalan independence, but Fifa has no problem running with the Spanish flag as he did on his lap of honour when champion of Europe.
Most of his family remain in Morocco, where his mother has watched him triumph on television and when he dedicated his medal ‘I dedicate my medal to my training companions for the Spanish Athletics Federation, Barcelona FC and my family’
Adel Mechaal however has been embroiled in controversy, when he said he carried the Spanish flag ‘only for respect’. This athlete was born in Tetuan, and lives on the Costa Brava, and has given Spain two medals this year, the bronze in the European Cross and silver in the 5,000m.
The Olympic final for the 5,000 m in Rio is the common objective of these two Moroccans.
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