The Tunisian Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs announced today the granting of the title of "Tunisian Sports Ambassador" to the retired Olympic athlete and champion Habiba Al-Ghuraibi. It should be noted that it is the first time in Tunisia that this title is granted to an athlete, in addition to a monthly salary. The ministry stated on its official page on the social networking site "Facebook" that granting the title aims to invest the successes achieved by al-Ghuraibi to support diplomacy in the sports sector and enhance Tunisia's image internationally.
"Saida, being the first female athlete in Tunisia to win this title, is a new responsibility and mission for me," said Habiba Ghribi, who lives in France, before the ceremony to receive the position today. "The title is honorary, but it will allow me to represent my country in any event outside the country. I can offer whatever can help my country," she added. Al-Ghuraibi, 36, was a specialist in medium and long distance races and had started her first international participation since 2002.
Al-Ghribi's achievements include crowning the world champion in the 3000m hurdles in the 2011 world championships in Zurich, and she won the gold medal in the London 2012 Olympics in the same race, along with her crowning in the Diamond League Athletics competitions, in Zurich in 2014 and in Monaco and Brussels in general 2015.