Maldives Women’s table tennis team wins the gold medal at IOIG

The Maldivian Women’s table tennis team has won the gold medal at the Indian Ocean Island Games currently ongoing in Mauritius. The Maldives won the gold medal in this event after beating the host nation and the reigning champions Mauritius at the final.

While the Maldives won the final by beating Mauritius in three out two games, the team consisted of 11-year-old Fathimath Dheema Ali and the 15-year-old Aishath Rafaa Nazim as well as two more experienced players Mueena Mohamed and Fathimath Jumana.

The Maldives lost the first game of the match when Dheema was defeated in the first two sets of the match with a score of 9-11 and 11-2. Dheema recovered enough to win the third set 10-12 but lost the fourth set by 6-11.

Rafaa won the second match of the final when she beat her opponent 11-9, 7-12, 11-3 and 9-11. While Mueena lost her match in the final in three straight sets of 1-11, 8-11 and 12-14, Dheema won the fourth match with a score of 7-11, 11-6, 11-5 and 11-6. The winner was decided in the following match when Rafaa won with a score of 11-6, 11-5, 10-12 and 12-11.

The Maldivian president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who was in attendance to view the match congratulated the team after its victory and strong run in the event and thanked the team for making their country proud. The president also congratulated the Men’s badminton team after it won the bronze medal in the badminton event.