Mogadishu, Somalia – Thousands of fans packed Engineer Yariisow Stadium in the Somali capital on Friday to welcome home Ramla Ali, the country’s first Olympic boxer, who returned to Somalia last week after three decades abroad.
The celebration featured a friendly football match between Somalia’s Under-17 and Under-20 women’s national teams, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in partnership with the Somali Football Federation. The event aimed to inspire young Somali girls to pursue sports, following the trail blazed by Ali on the global stage.
Government officials, former athletes, community leaders, and youth organizations joined the crowd, turning the occasion into a symbolic moment for Somali sports and gender inclusion.
“Ramla is more than a champion. She is a hero for Somali youth, especially girls. She shows that Somalis can succeed in sports around the world,” said Ali Abdi Mohamed, President of the Somali Football Federation (SFF).
Ali, who fled Somalia as a child during the civil war and built her career in the United Kingdom, became the first Somali to compete in Olympic boxing at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Her return marks both a personal homecoming and a national milestone, as she seeks to use her platform to encourage the next generation of Somali athletes.
The match and the warm reception highlight Somalia’s growing efforts to promote women’s participation in sports, even as the country continues to face challenges of security and infrastructure. For many in attendance, the event was not only about honoring Ali’s success but also about redefining the role of women in Somalia’s athletic future.