Morocco will boost sport through the OCP group
Moroccan fertiliser business group OCP is to create a subsidiary called 'OCP Sport Development' with the aim of boosting the sports sector in the Kingdom, specifically football.
The Moroccan phosphate giant received the authorisation to create this body by a decree issued on 10 January by the National Strategic Agency for State Contributions, according to Morocco World News.
This subsidiary will play a key role in implementing the measures designed by King Mohammed VI with regard to sport, a booming sector in the North African country thanks, in part, to the success of the national team during the last World Cup.
This OCP group body will focus on improving governance, providing training and establishing high-quality sports infrastructure, as reported by the Moroccan media. Its work will mainly focus on cities close to OCP's industrial and mining sites, such as Khouribga, El Jadida and Safi.
Similarly, 'OCP Sport Development', which will be supervised by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), will aim to create a new model for football development by facilitating effective collaboration between training centres and professional clubs.
'OCP Sport Development' hopes to establish and manage "high-level" training centres and academies, as well as identify talent from an early age and develop a distinguished academic pathway in partnership with the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. This educational centre, together with the OCP subsidiary, will assist athletes in their post-competitive career transition through integrated training programmes.
This new company will be wholly owned by the OCP group, and will have an initial capital of 39 million DH ($3.9 million). The project's initial investment is estimated at DH 378 million ($38 million), of which 60 per cent will come from internal or semi-internal resources and 40 per cent from bank loans, according to Morocco World News. The subsidiary aims to achieve a return on investment of 5.4% over 25 years.
In this regard, it should be noted that this new subsidiary is not the first initiative of the OCP Group to support sports development. In October 2023, the company agreed with NBA Africa to launch a basketball development programme for the benefit of young people.
The OCP Group's decision to create "'OCP Sport Development' reflects the high profile that sport is gaining in Morocco, especially football.
Football has experienced a surge in popularity in the Kingdom after the great performance of the Atlas Lions during the World Cup in Qatar. Following this competition, Moroccan football has continued to achieve significant success. Morocco, along with Spain and Portugal, is also set to host the 2030 World Cup, an event that will be a sporting landmark for the country.
