Rising Maldivian badminton star Laiba “Elly” Ahmed Mahloof has departed for Georgia to represent the Maldives at the Batumi Cup, Youth International Badminton Tournament, set to take place from August 22 to 24 in Batumi City.

The prestigious youth tournament will bring together 78 young athletes from across Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Latvia, Azerbaijan, and the Maldives, with matches spanning singles, doubles, and mixed doubles in the U11, U13, and U15 age categories. The event is organized by the Badminton Federation of Georgia.

Laiba, competing in the under-13 category, will take part in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. She will partner with Shakhbazian Magda from Georgia in the doubles event, and with Manukyan Narek from Armenia in the mixed doubles draw.

This marks Laiba’s second appearance at the Batumi Cup. In last year’s edition, she delivered an impressive performance, claiming a bronze medal in singles and a silver medal in doubles, a feat she’ll look to build on this time around.

With a growing track record of international success, Laiba continues to shine as one of the Maldives’ brightest young sporting talents on the global stage.