Dakar:Moroccan taekwondo athlete Abdellatif Ladimat secured a bronze medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. In a fiercely contested match, Ladimat faced a narrow defeat against his French opponent, losing by two rounds to one after the final round ended in a 16-16 draw. The decision was ultimately made in favor of the French athlete, Botta, based on superiority criteria.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Ladimat initially lost the first round 14-3. However, he made a remarkable comeback in the second round. Despite trailing by four points, Ladimat utilized a series of body kicks to equalize the score and later took the lead with a head kick. He finished the second round with a score of 20-9, leveling the match at one round each.

In the third and deciding round, the match featured numerous lead changes. Ladimat started with a 2-0 lead, but his opponent managed to catch up and briefly take the lead. The Moroccan athlete then extended his advantage to 16-7. However, in the closing moments, Botta managed to equalize to 16-16, with penalties against Ladimat also playing a part. The round was awarded to Botta on superiority criteria, giving him the overall victory.

This bronze medal marks Morocco's first appearance on the medal table at the current edition of the Youth Olympic Games, which will continue until November 13 in Senegal.