Sporting Practices of the Moroccan Bourgeoisie

Sporting activities in the bourgeois milieu are not just about keeping the body in good physical and mental health. Above all, it has an important social and symbolic function. The sporting performances sought by these elites are proof for themselves and their peers of their legitimacy to continue exercising their dominance in society and inside their companies. At first glance, running doesn't require many resources, so the upper classes take it up as a way of distinguishing themselves by having a personal kinesitherapist, equipping themselves with a Garmin smartwatch and joining exclusive clubs to take part in international marathons and be among the few Moroccans to have completed the six world marathon majors. The shift to sports such as triathlon, including its extreme Iron Man form, has taken hold among young upper-class executives who are often former students of classes préparatoires who are used to discipline, endurance and competition. However, other sports such as golf, water sports and alpinism continue to hold their own. It was by frequenting the clubs set up by the French and Spaniards during the colonial period, as well as in the various holiday destinations after independence, that the Moroccan bourgeoisie embraced these sporting activities. One of the holiday destinations that has been developing for sports such as water-skiing before being hit, since 2019, by the drought that has affected Morocco is the upper-class site around the Bine Louidane dam.