The President of the Ghana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), Rafatu Inusah, has praised Mali’s commitment to sports development following her participation in the UFOAR Rugby Africa Cup Zone B competition finals held in Bamako, Mali.
The prestigious regional tournament brought together five West African nations—Mali, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Guinea—to compete for top honours, while also promoting the growth of rugby across the UFOAR region.
Rafatu Inusah attended the event in her capacity as the Women’s Representative on the Board of UFOAR. During the tournament, she met with Mali’s Minister of Youth and Sports, H.E. Abdoul Kassim Ibrahim Fomba, Rugby Africa President Herbert Mensah, and several other distinguished guests.
Reflecting on her visit, the GRFU President described Mali as a beautiful country and applauded the government’s strong commitment to sports development. She expressed admiration for the country’s investment in a modern multi-sport complex built to Olympic and international standards, complete with athlete accommodation, describing it as a clear demonstration of Mali’s vision for nurturing future sporting talent.
One of the highlights of her visit, she noted, was witnessing girls and young women actively participating in rugby.
According to Inusah, seeing their passion, confidence, and enthusiasm for the sport was inspiring and reinforced the important role rugby continues to play in empowering girls and creating opportunities for young women across Africa.
She also expressed gratitude to the President of the Mali Rugby Federation, Mohamed Bonaventure Sangaré, for the invitation and the warm hospitality extended to her throughout her stay in Bamako.
Inusah congratulated all five participating nations—Mali, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Guinea—for contributing to a successful tournament. She also commended the players, coaches, referees, officials, volunteers, and supporters whose dedication and enthusiasm created an unforgettable atmosphere during the competition.
The GRFU President reserved special praise for host nation Mali after they emerged champions of the tournament, describing their triumph as thoroughly deserved.
She congratulated the players, technical team, management, and everyone who played a role in securing the title, adding that their success reflected the country’s growing investment in rugby.
As she concluded her visit, Inusah thanked the people of Mali for their warm welcome and hospitality, expressing confidence that rugby would continue to grow across the UFOAR region and inspire more young people to embrace the sport.
Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.
