Rhyda Amanfo Ofori, a 26-year-old professional teacher and captain of the Ghana senior women’s cricket team, is a force to be reckoned with on and off the cricket pitch. In a recent interview with Charles Wundengba, Rhyda shared insights into her cricket journey in Ghana, the challenges she faces, and her goals for the future.
Here are five takeaways from Rhyda’s interview:
Starting from scratch:
Rhyda didn’t know anything about cricket when she first started playing. It was her friend, Rita, who introduced her to the sport during a trip to Accra for a girls’ invitational tournament. Despite her lack of knowledge about the sport, Rhyda fell in love with it and went on to become a key player for the Ghana senior women’s cricket team.
Facing challenges:
The lack of funds and government support means that the Ghanaian cricket team only gets to play in one tournament a year, despite receiving many international invitations. This lack of playing time can make it challenging for the team to perform well in tournaments. Rhyda also shared her disappointment about the team’s performance in the Nigeria Invitational Women’s T20 International tournament, which was their first tournament in a year.
Bold decisions:
Rhyda’s dedication to the sport was evident when she made the bold decision to play in the North-West Africa Cricket Tournament in Ghana in 2018, despite being eight months pregnant. She did not want to disappoint the team and played without the consent of the association. Rhyda’s team went on to be the runners-up in the tournament.
Balancing sports and work:
Rhyda is an all-rounder when it comes to sports, having played football, table tennis, handball, netball, volleyball, shot put, and javelin. She currently trains three times a week and sometimes on weekends, all while working as a professional teacher. Balancing her athletic pursuits with other aspects of her life is a bit challenging, but she manages to do it all.
Future goals:
Rhyda has big aspirations for the future. She hopes to become the first-ever women’s cricket coach in Ghana and continue to represent her country as a player. She also hopes to inspire more girls to take up the sport and believes that with more support, the Ghanaian cricket team can achieve even more.
Rhyda’s journey in cricket highlights the resilience and determination required to succeed in a sport that lacks support and funding in certain parts of the world. Her story is a reminder that with dedication, hard work, and a love for the game, anything is possible.
