An international sport fishing delegation from Morocco secured second place at the third annual Jebel Sifah International Fishing Championship held in Oman on October 9 and 10, 2026, earning three total distinctions and qualifying for the 2027 Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica, L’observateur reported.

Delegation Secures Second Place Overall and Individual Honors

The Moroccan team finished runner-up in the overall team standings with a strong showing behind the host Omani team, Top Water Tales, which accumulated 374 points. Just Fishing placed third in the tournament with 98 points. The competition brought together fishing teams from approximately ten nations, including Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, South Africa, Switzerland, and Italy, marking Morocco’s debut appearance at the Omani event.

The squad also captured second place in the largest fish category with a yellowfin tuna weighing more than 70 kilograms. The five-member delegation comprised Bassam Chekrane, Yassir Oubaha, Youssef Mirhzer, Otmane Raji, and Omar Idrissi Aouad. Tournament organizers noted that the winning yellowfin tuna catch complied fully with the rules of the International Game Fish Association.

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Offshore World Championship Berth Secured for 2027

The runner-up finish at Jebel Sifah earns the Moroccan team an official qualification slot for the 2027 Offshore World Championship in Costa Rica. Organizers integrated a social welfare initiative into the tournament by distributing the captured tuna to local orphanages. The third edition of the championship was organized by Ethical Anglers in cooperation with Jebel Sifah, backed by strategic partner Sohar International and the Oman Water Sports Committee.

Potential for Big Game Fishing Development in Morocco

Industry stakeholders at the tournament discussed prospects for developing high-seas sport fishing, known as big game fishing, along Morocco’s Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Discussions centered on establishing future international tournaments in domestic ports such as Tanger, Mohammedia, El Jadida, Agadir, and Dakhla, pending formal administrative authorizations and local logistical organization. The results and proceedings of the event were also relayed by several Omani media outlets, notably Al Youm, Al Roya, Al Naba, and Asdaa Oman, with three distinctions and a world qualification in its first participation highlighting national ambitions in high-seas sport fishing. Furthermore, exchanges initiated with delegations present in Oman sparked interest in hosting a future tournament in the Kingdom, leveraging Morocco’s diverse Atlantic and Mediterranean coastline.