Pioneers of social networking sites circulated a video clip of Morocco's Taekwondo champion Anouar Boukharsa, showing him on an irregular migration boat towards Spain.
Boukharsa, the gold medalist in the Under-63 Throne Cup, opted for irregular migration through "death boats" because of his difficult living conditions and what he considered unfair to his country.
The Moroccan athlete appeared in the video, throwing one of his medals at sea, and said "no use of them," in a sign that he did not benefit from anything in return for the tournaments he achieved during his career.
Local sites reported that the Moroccan hero arrived in the Spanish island of Lanzarote with 30 other immigrants, and confirmed that he is seeking to continue his career in Spain.
Boukharsa is not the first Moroccan athlete to opt for irregular migration, he said, preceded by Olympic player Safi Ali Hababa, who emigrated last year in the same way.