Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdullah Rafiu has extended his heartfelt congratulations to the national badminton star Fathimath Nabaha Abdul Razzaq for her profound accomplishment to secure a spot in the Olympics Games for the second consecutive time.
Nabaha got the tripartite opportunity to participate in the Olympic Games, which will be held in Paris. While the star secured her position to partake in the games this year, she also participated in the Olympics 2020, held in Tokyo, Japan. During the inaugural ceremony of the Olympics Games 2020, she had the honours of holding the national flag.
Minister Rafiu underscored the significance of Nabaha's achievement in a meeting held in the ministry. During the meeting, the discussions pertained to her ongoing preparations for the game.
The exceptional performance of Nabaha for the last four years were recognised and taken into account, paving her the path towards the Olympic Games. She has a notably well-experience at international levels, having reached the top 16 of the women's singles at the 19th Asian Games held at Hangzhou, China, in 2021.
While Nabaha participates in the games for the second time in a row, national athlete Ahmed Shafeeq competed in the Olympics three times previously. Meanwhile, Hussain Haleem, Naseer Ismail, Mohamed Amir, Hussain Riyaz and Hassan Saaid competed in the Olympics Games twice. Additionally, Hassan Mubaah, Aminath Rooyaa Hussain and Aminath Sajan also participated in the games as swimmers. Hence, Nabaha has the honours of being the first national badminton player competing in the games twice.
This year's Olympic Games marks a historic milestone for the Maldives, as it will be competing in four various sports. The nation was given invitational opportunities to partake in three sports; badminton, swimming and athletics. The Maldives will also be represented in the sport of table tennis, by the table tennis star player Fathimath Dheema Ali. Dheema got the remarkable opportunity after showcasing her exemplary skills amidst stiff competition from the finest table tennis players in South Asia and emerged victorious in the South Asia Regional Olympic Qualifications.