President of the Table Tennis Association of Maldives (TTAM) Ali Rasheed (Ayya) has been appointed as the Chef de Mission for the Maldivian contingent at the Olympic Games in France.
The Maldives will send its largest contingent in history to the Olympics, which will take place from July 26 to August 11. The country will compete in four sports, which include badminton, athletics, swimming, and table tennis.
Ali Rasheed, who also serves in the Executive Committee of the Maldives Olympic Committee, will oversee the Maldivian contingent's arrangements. Notably, it marks the first time a Maldivian athlete has qualified for the Olympics through a qualification process rather than through invitational opportunities.
Table tennis star Fathimath Dheema Ali qualified for the Olympics after passing a qualifying round. In athletics, Ibadulla Adam, currently training in Jamaica, will represent the Maldives in athletics. Fathimath Nabaha will compete in badminton, making her the first Maldivian athlete to participate in two consecutive Olympics. The swimming representatives for the Maldives will also be decided following a tournament in Singapore.