Taranto 2026: Widad BERTAL and Haitam ZARHOUTI Named Morocco’s Flag Bearers for the Opening Ceremony

The 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games, Taranto 2026, officially gets underway on Friday, 21 August 2026, with the Opening Ceremony at the Erasmo Iacovone Stadium in Taranto, Italy.

Morocco’s flag will be carried by Widad BERTAL, who will compete in the women’s -54 kg boxing event, and Haitam ZARHOUTI, who will compete in the men’s -80 kg taekwondo event.

The two athletes will lead the Moroccan delegation during the traditional Parade of Nations, one of the highlights of the Opening Ceremony.

Scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m., the ceremony will mark the official start of nearly two weeks of competition. This edition brings together 26 nations and 3,803 athletes competing across 33 sports disciplines.

Morocco is represented at Taranto 2026 by 120 athletes — 72 men and 48 women — competing across 18 sports disciplines.

The 20th Mediterranean Games will run in Taranto until 3 September 2026.