BAMAKO (Mali) - Mali youth team teams continue to excel  as far as the African continent is concerned despite the myriads of challenges of other countries.

In fact, they seem to have found a working formula that has remained the same without change. 

Since the inception of the FIBA U16 Women's African Championship, the West African nation's dominance has defied all attempts to crumble it.

With a record seven titles to their credit, the Malian girls can boast of their tight grip on the title and have no intention of letting it go off their fingers.

Of the seven championship games that Mali has won, only twice did Egypt threatened closely (62-61 in Maputo in 2013) and 68-65 in Cairo in 2021). Mali have always had their way crawling back to the top when it mattered the most.

Every championship comes with different challenges but the philosophy has remained the same. Mali had been dominant in all the championships winning and improving their all-time record.

In the process, Mali have produced at least four Most Valuable Players in Farima Toure (2009), Rokia Doumbia (2015), Aissetou Coulibaly (2017 and Rokiatu Berthe (2021).

Mali have also, by virtue of their dominance at the U16, graduated players to the U18 level that has seen them participate in 10 out of the 15 editions of the  FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup,  with a Semi-Final showing in 2021 when Hungary hosted the championship.

These players carried on with their careers graduating to the next cadre and performing well.

With no intention to let go of the title, Mali coach Moussa Sidibe is confident that the tradition of winning will remain intact.

He admitted in a chat with FIBA.basketball that heading to the 2016 FIBA U16 Women's African Championship Final Round in Monastir in July will be his first time of handling the team.

And despite the challenges of the records set before him, he hopes to retain the title for Mali for the eighth time.

"I never coached the team before now. Indeed it is a big record that challenges me a lot and I congratulate my predecessors," he said, adding: "They did a remarkable and exceptional job."

Coach Sidibe further revealed that what has been working for Mali is a deliberate plan designed to help every succeeding national U16 team.

"This is due to the policy of the mini basketball development program and the development of training centres."

While he admits that Egypt is fast developing at this level too, Sidibe believes Mali still has an edge. "In recent years, Egypt has become a potential threat for this category but anyway we will be focused on the objectives and we will put all the chances at our level to achieve them inshallah in Tunis," Sidibe explained.

FIBA