Mohammed Ben Hammou is the technical director of the M’Sallah Garden sports club, located in the center of Tangier and one of the first to have opened in the city. The club has many tennis and paddle courts, as well as dance tracks and a magnificent restaurant.
How long have you been working here?
I have been involved in tennis for over 50 years. My father worked in this club as a tennis teacher. I have been a player, director and tennis teacher here, at M’Sallah Garden, for over 35 years.
What facilities have the Mesallah Garden Sports Club?
We have good facilities: we have four tennis courts, four Paddle-Tennis courts, which are new, as well as basketball, football and volleyball courts and a ball. We are a federated club: we belong to the Moroccan tennis federation and we have high -quality clay tennis courts.
Where do people who come to play here come from? Should we be a member?
This club is special because it welcomes many foreign players who come to take advantage of our facilities: we have in particular Spanish, French and English customers. It is possible to become a member, but it is not compulsory: in fact, most customers come with a prior reservation to play the day, which costs 100 dirhams per person and per hour. Although the club is affiliated with the federation, it works like any other. Thus, if you want to become a member, the price is only 3,000 dirhams per year. The only additional cost is that of private lessons, which you pay to the teacher. But as a member, you just have to book the short in advance to play.
How many members currently have the club?
We have around 120 adult members and around fifty minors. We teach basketball, tennis, paddle-tennis to children … We have a tennis school where children come to play every Wednesday and Saturday. The advantage of our club and the climate of Tangier is that we can play all year … except when it rains.
What are the origins of the club?
The Mesallah Garden Sports Club is the first club in Morocco: it was created in 1930 with the support of an English company called Minzah. It’s more than just a sports club: people don’t just come to play sports, they also come to have fun and spend the evening on our dance tracks. A large part of our customers comes from the whole country, and many come to listen to the pianist. In recent years, we have also found an increase in the number of European customers, partly thanks to the quality of our shorts.
After playing tennis, you have to recharge your batteries. Do you also have a restaurant?
Yes, our restaurant is called the Royal of Minzah and offers excellent service. It is a restaurant with a Moroccan chef who serves international cuisine, as well as couscous every Friday.
How about a Spanish, a businessman or an investor who wants to come to Tangier? Why should he become a member of the M’Sallah Garden Sports Club?
Some people come to play tennis, others to eat at the restaurant, still others to play paddle … I am here with the coach and every day, I see Spanish, French, Qataris and English customers … Because this club, unlike others, has a story that others do not have, as well as a good quality restaurant.
