Summary: It is noted that months ago, social media platforms circulated a video showing the father of Tunisian champion Ghofrane Belkhir appealing to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, calling on them to pay attention to Tunisia's champions and stressing that his daughter was suffering neglect despite her achievements and raising the national flag in international forums.

The announcement by Tunisian weightlifter Ghofrane Belkhir that she has officially joined the German national weightlifting team has sparked widespread controversy in Tunisia, bringing back to the forefront the issue of elite Tunisian athletes migrating to other countries to represent their colors, amid divided opinions between those who see this decision as a betrayal of the nation and those who view it as a direct result of the Ministry of Youth and Sports' neglect of champions who represented Tunisia and raised its flag in international forums.

Belkhir revealed this joining via her personal page on the Facebook platform, showing a picture containing documents bearing her name, as well as an ID card and a personal photo, with references to a club called "Berlin" and dates linked to the year 2026.

Under Another Flag

Weightlifter Ghofrane Belkhir had suddenly disappeared just two hours after the arrival of the national weightlifting team delegation to the city of Oslo to participate in the World Championships in October 2025, which at the time raised many questions about her status and the circumstances of her departure.

Ghofrane Belkhir is considered one of the most prominent names in weightlifting at both the national and international levels. In 2021, she won the gold medal at the World Youth Weightlifting Championships, confirming her status among the best weightlifters in her category.

It is noted that months ago, social media platforms circulated a video showing the father of Tunisian champion Ghofrane Belkhir appealing to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, calling on them to pay attention to Tunisia's champions and stressing that his daughter was suffering neglect despite her achievements and raising the national flag in international forums.

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MP Ahmed Saidani considered that the announcement by Tunisian weightlifter and world champion Ghofrane Belkhir of joining the German team after obtaining German citizenship represents a "slap" that calls for a comprehensive review of the situation of youth and athletes in the country.

Saidani said in a post published on his Facebook page that "what distinguishes Ghofrane Belkhir from a large number of Tunisian youth is that she found a way to leave the country," considering that a large number of young people will leave Tunisia if given the opportunity, which requires, in his words, "reviewing ourselves."

He added that the message sent by the Tunisian champion represents "a slap in all our faces," calling for lessons to be drawn from this incident and stressing that Tunisians are "not more patriotic than a sportswoman who honored the country and raised its flag in international forums, but found only ingratitude and denial."

Saidani concluded his post with an apology to Ghofrane Belkhir, saying, "Forgive us, Ghofrane. We are the ones who made you carry another flag."

A Call for Accountability

For his part, MP Imad Ouled Jebril called for the dismissal and accountability of the Minister of Youth and Sports, holding him politically responsible for what he considered a decline in the state of Tunisian sports, following the announcement by the Tunisian weightlifter of her joining the German team.

Jebril said the ministry was aware of indicators of the crisis since 2025 but did not take the necessary measures to keep the champion within the national team. He cited a number of other files, including complaints from athletes about preparation and accommodation conditions, and some athletes choosing to represent other countries, considering that these facts reflect shortcomings in the management of the sector.

He criticized what he described as the gap between the declared goals for developing Tunisian sports and the reality experienced by athletes, calling for an investigation and accountability of those responsible for these files.

In a related context, sports journalist Iskander Ibrahim believes that "after the announcement by Tunisian weightlifter Ghofrane Belkhir of changing her sporting nationality, an aspect emerges that is no less important than the news itself, requiring the state and the supervisory authority to pause and read it carefully."

Ibrahim continued, commenting on public opinion's reaction: "We all remember the reactions that accompanied handball player Youssef Ben Ali's decision to represent the Qatari team in 2013, as well as player Asma El Ghawi's decision to later represent the Hungarian team. At that time, Tunisians' comments were dominated by dismay, accusations of treason, and anger at athletes who chose to represent other countries. Today, however, anyone following any platform that published the news of Ghofrane's joining the German team will notice that the vast majority of comments were supportive of her and encouraging her step, even wishing her success in her new career."

He says that "this irony deserves attention. It reflects a clear shift in public opinion's view of such decisions, even when it comes to issues related to national belonging and representing the country," pointing out that "the message to officials is clear: reading citizens' reactions may be enough to understand the magnitude of the change that has occurred in the public mood, and what it reflects of a growing feeling of frustration towards the reality of Tunisian sports."

Ibrahim believes that "this shift in attitudes should prompt a review of the policies adopted in caring for athletes and improving their conditions, before such cases recur and the transfer of sports talents to other teams becomes a phenomenon that is difficult to curb."

Government Responds

Ghofrane Belkhir's move to Germany was not an isolated case; it was preceded by similar cases of young athletes such as Hamza Ben Omar, Sajir Jebali, and Lajin Amara, who left the residence of the Tunisian team participating in the World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Spain two years ago. The recurrence of these cases confirms the extent of the difficulties faced by athletes in individual sports in the country.

Voices of a number of athletes have risen demanding that officials fulfill their commitments and promises to them, but indicators suggest that the crisis has worsened, requiring an urgent and comprehensive reform plan to save the sports sector, especially individual sports, and improve the social and professional conditions of athletes to limit the phenomenon of their emigration abroad and representing other flags.

In this regard, Minister of Youth and Sports Sadeq Mourali affirmed that the ministry is working in partnership with various stakeholders to review and update the legal and regulatory system governing the sports sector.

He explained that the success of any reform project remains contingent on the availability of a modern, flexible legislative framework that keeps pace with the rapid developments in the sports field, stressing that revising and developing the law on sports structures is among the top priorities of the reform program that the ministry is working to achieve.