Maldives welcomes back medalists from Indian Ocean Island Games

The contingent included young female athletes who became national icons after winning the country’s first gold medals in badminton and table tennis at an international multi-sport tournament.

The women’s table tennis team won the country’s first gold medal in a team event and Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq won the women’s singles event in badminton. The duo of 11-year-old Fathmath Dheema Ali and 15-year-old Aishath Rafa Nazim won the table tennis doubles event and went on to play each other in the final of the single’s event. The younger girl won the match to clinch her third gold medal at the tournament.

Eleven-year-old Dheema led the team as they emerged from the Maldivian airlines plane that flew the athletes back from Mauritius. They were ferried over from the airport island to Malé on boats decked out with national flags.