An African branch of INAS has been created following a two-day meeting in Cairo ©INAS

The International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairment (INAS) has established an African branch following a meeting in Egypt’s capital Cairo.

The two-day event, hosted by the Egyptian Sports Federation for Intellectual Disabilities (ESFID), was attended by representatives from Cameroon, Morocco, Sudan, Mauritius, Libya and Kenya.

It saw the election of a new President, the formalisation of the group’s structure and the creation of a constitution.

INAS governing board member Amal Mobadda from Egypt was elected President while Sudan’s Masher Mohamed was named vice-president for North Africa and Jean-Marie Malepa from Mauritius was elected vice-president for Southern Africa.

Other appointments were also made, including Hamid Al-Aouny from Morocco as secretary general and Egypt’s Ashraf Hussein as treasurer.

The meeting in Egypt's capital has been hailed as a key moment for INAS in Africa ©Getty Images
The meeting in Egypt's capital has been hailed as a key moment for INAS in Africa ©Getty Images

In a statement INAS said Mohamed’s appointment as vice-president is subject to the approval of Sudan as an INAS member.

“This gathering represents the most encouraging move in recent years towards establishing a much-needed INAS organisation in Africa,” INAS President Marc Truffault said.

“We are keen for more countries from the region to grow sport for athletes with an intellectual impairment and holding and attending competitions, and for those that already exist to be empowered to do the same.

“INAS sends its best wishes to those involved and we are grateful to ESFID for hosting this event and are excited to see the results.”

Included on the agenda of the new body is a plan to host the first INAS regional competition in Africa in 2020.