The Maldivian leader has applauded the women’s Table Tennis (TT) team from Maldives, for bagging bronze at the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games 2022.

Maldives took bronze at the women’s table tennis event at the ongoing Islamic Solidarity Games 2022 in Konya, Turkey on Thursday.

Taking to Twitter following the achievement, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulated the players and extended best wishes for them to continue displaying the same level of courage and determination in the future games.

An ecstatic Solih noted that the Maldivian women’s TT team has made history by winning bronze at the Fifth Islamic Solidarity Games.

He said that it was a “proud day” for the entire country.

Speaking on the team’s achievement, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Ahmed Mahloof revealed that no one would have believed Maldives was capable of making such progress and achieving a medal at such a major event, a few years back.

However, he noted that the special attention towards the sport and alternations made to policies have resulted in the massive success.

Mahloof congratulated the Maldivian Women’s TT Team for bagging a bronze medal in the multi-sport global competition, in which 59 countries are participating from across the globe.

The sports minister described this to be the biggest achievement in Maldives’s sports sector, to date.

Maldives lost to Iran at the semi finals against a strong competitor; Iran at Thursday’s game in the ongoing women’s TT event at the games.

Iran thrashed the Maldives’ team by taking all three games.

This is the first time a team from Maldives made to the semi finals at the Islamic Solidarity Games. Maldives secured the spot in the semi after winning two out of the three matches played in the group stage. The team was in the second spot of the group stage.

As such, Maldives beat Djibouti and Uganda in the group stage. The third game was won by Turkey.

Maldivian Table Tennis prodigy Fathmath Dheema Ali competed in the first singles’ round in the semi finals against Iran. Dheema lost the sets 11 – 4, 11 – 8 and 11 – 2.

Aishath Rafa Nazim competed in the second singles and lost after putting up a good fight, with Iran’s player taking the sets 11 – 9, 11 – 7 and 11 – 4. Rafa powered through the fourth set and won 12 – 10. However, a very heated fifth round saw Iran’s player overwhelming Rafa, who lost 11 – 8.

Maldivian players Rafa and Fathmath Jumana Nimal competed against Iran in the final doubles game. Iran’s pair defeated Rafa and Jumana by taking three sets to one.

The first set ended with Iran in the lead with 11 – 5 followed by Rafa and Jumana winning the second set. However, Iran took the third and fourth set 11 – 4 and 11 – 5.

Maldives has been showing an excellent performance overall, at this year’s games.