Moroccan powerlifting champion appeals for help after paralysis

Former Moroccan powerlifting champion Abderrazak Saktiwy appealed for help to fund spinal surgery in the United Arab Emirates after a training accident left him paralysed, Moroccan government-friendly Yabiladi reported on April 22. The case has drawn attention to the difficulties faced by those requiring long-term medical care.

Saktiwy, 57, said his career ended in 2019 when a 140-kilogram weight fell on his head during training ahead of the World Powerlifting Championship in Canada.

The accident caused complete paralysis and left him unable to move independently, he said.

Saktiwy began competing in Morocco during the 1990s and won several national titles before moving to the UAE in 2003 to work at a powerlifting club, where he continued competing and training athletes.

He later represented Morocco internationally through the Moroccan Federation of Powerlifting and Iron Hand Sports. He won the Gulf Championship three times, secured Arab and African bench press titles and claimed the Moroccan championship seven times.

After the accident, Saktiwy underwent rehabilitation treatment organised by the Red Cross. He said the programme lasted three months and cost around 900,000 dirhams (€83,000), but he was forced to stop because he could no longer afford further care.

He recently said doctors in the UAE informed him that a spinal cord transplant procedure could help him regain part of his mobility, although the operation would cost more than 2 million dirhams (€184,000).

Rehabilitation and long-term disability care can be expensive and difficult to access in Morocco, with some patients relying on charitable support or treatment abroad.

Saktiwy appealed to King Mohammed VI and benefactors for financial assistance to cover the cost of the treatment.

“All I wish for is to stand on my feet again,” he said.

The former champion lives at the sports club where he previously worked. The owner has provided him with accommodation, as well as help with daily tasks including eating, bathing and dressing.

Saktiwy remains in the UAE while seeking funding for the operation and continuing to receive support from the club. He said he has no family support in the country.

Yabiladi, BBC, Maghrebi.org