Smara _ Hicham Elabassi
Amidst an atmosphere filled with a sense of citizenship and social inclusion, Mr. Ibrahim Boutoumilat, the Governor of the Province of Smara, launched the “Unity Wheelchair Basketball Tournament” on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at the Indoor Sports Hall in Smara. This sports event is organized as part of the province’s celebrations commemorating the first anniversary of Unity Day, in partnership with and with the support of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH).
This sporting and awareness-raising activity falls under the programs of the INDH, specifically the program supporting people in vulnerable situations for the year 2026. A total budget of 300,000.00 MAD was allocated for this developmental and sporting project, funded and coordinated in partnership with the Moroccan Association for Persons with Special Needs, and supervised by the company “STE CARROUCH GROUPE.”
The opening ceremony was attended by civil and military figures, elected officials, representatives of external services, and Sahrawi tribal elders. During the event, a detailed technical brief was presented regarding the project, which aimed to acquire advanced sports equipment and gear specially designed for wheelchair basketball, including sports wheelchairs, basketballs, complete sports apparel, electronic scoreboards, and sports basketball hoops.
The tournament, which runs until Monday, October 26, 2026, at the Smara Indoor Sports Hall, targets a total of 50 participants representing wheelchair basketball teams, including 20 children with motor disabilities (cerebral palsy), alongside the engagement of 50 children and youth with disabilities from the city of Smara and the southern provinces.
The tournament’s activities are expected to conclude tomorrow, Monday, with an awareness-raising day focused on sports for individuals with disabilities, followed by an interactive workshop on Boccia, before wrapping up the event with the distribution of awards to the participating teams.