(4 Jun 2021) LEAD IN:
It used to be a sport for pensioners and senior citizens, but Morocco's youth wanted in on the fun.
Today, more young men and women play petanque in Morocco than the elderly.
STORY-LINE:
In Morocco, petanque has become a sport for all ages and Moroccans, young and old, come together for the love of the game.
In Sale, a bustling city across the Bouregreg River from the kingdom's capital, Rabat, some men gather every day to play the sport.
They get together in the afternoon at a popular district in Sale and pass hours playing petanque.
Each player in petanque gets two balls and has to throw them as close as possible to a wooden ball positioned in the court.
The balls weigh between 600 and 800 grams (1.3 - 1.7 pounds) and winning the game requires utter precision.
Ibrahim Raiss, 66, has been playing petanque for the past six years and he says the sport has benefits for the mind and the body.
In the past, petanque was almost exclusive to senior Moroccans but with time, young people started playing the game.
"What I like about this sport is the fact that it brings people of all ages together and there isn't a specific age (that you need to be)," says petanque player Mohammed Ahmiss.
He says he has benefited from the experiences shared by elderly petanque players "who have more experience in life."
This sport has been practiced in Morocco for over a century after it was introduced to the North African country through the French in 1912.
Initially, it was mainly the French who played this game in Morocco, but today there are thousands of licensed Moroccan petanque players.
Women of all ages have also taken up an interest in the game and that is what encouraged Fatima Hassar to start playing petanque.
"What pushed me to choose this sport is the fact that we play without stress, in a calm atmosphere," she says.
People with disabilities also play petanque and are strongly encouraged by other players in the court.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
