Maldivian star athletes Fathmath Jumana Nimal and Zayan Zaki will have the honor of hoisting the country's national flag at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
National Table Tennis star Jumana and national badminton sensation Zayan expressed pride in having received the honor. The two athletes, who have since been officially presented with the flags, stated that this a great honor.
Zayan highlighted that this would be his third time at the Commonwealth Games and will go down in his sports career as one of the biggest honors he has received.
This is my third Commonwealth Games. You can say that it is one of the biggest honors of my entire career to hoist the flag at the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games. With Allah’s grace, I will try my best to bring a good name and good results for the country with the help of my experience in earlier games”Zayan Zaki, National Badminton player.
Commonwealth Games 2022 will be Jumana’s fourth time competing. The skilled TT star also view this opportunity as one that makes her proud. The athlete hopes to bring success and a good name to the Maldives this year.
This is my fourth time at the Commonwealth Games. Having the opportunity to hoist the Maldives’ flag is a major honor. I hope to show a good performance at the games and achieve better results.”Jumana Nimal, Table Tennis player.
Commonwealth Games 2022 is scheduled to kick-off on July 28, in Birmingham, the United Kingdom.
The flags were handed over to the athletes who will be hoisting the flags at the opening ceremony, held at the Athletes Village, by Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof and the President of the Olympics Committee Mohamed Abdul Sattar.
Maldivian teams will be competing in five games this year; table tennis, athletics, swimming, beach volley and badminton. A total of 46 athletes and officials will be participating in the games. The country is participating after a hiatus after the previous administration withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2016 after it warned of possible suspension over the political turmoil observed during Yameen’s presidency.
The Commonwealth Games was a popular international platform for Maldivian athletes to showcase their talents, with Maldivians even having received educational benefits from the Commonwealth. However, since former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom decided to withdraw from the Commonwealth, Maldives was barred from participating in the games.
Maldives was officially readmitted to the Commonwealth in February 2020, as its 54th member state.
The island nation first became a member of the Commonwealth on 9 July 1982.
