All four players from the Maldives table tennis team have secured spots in the top 16 in the table tennis singles event of the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) after coming first in the group stage.

Aishath Rafa Nazim, Fathmath Dheema Ali, Fathmath Jumana Nimal and Mueena Mohamed headed to the top 16.

Young players Rafa and Dheema had shown an excellent performance during the group stage matches on Friday, having won all of them.

Mueena secured the spot in the top 16 after coming second in the group stage.

Having won first place in the men’s singles, Maldives player Ismail Shaffan also secured a spot in the top 16, with player Mohamed Zeesth Naeem also securing a spot after coming second.

Munthif Ahmed had been eliminated after losing the men’s singles, Moosa Munsif had won second in the group stage. He is required to compete in a playoff in order to secure a spot in the top 16.

Maldives won three out of the five games played against host country Mauritius, with 15-yo Rafa taking the tie breaker in the end. Dheema also won the fourth game in the final.

The team won its first gold medal on 22 July, bagging the second on 24 July. The team also won silver medals in the event.

With these gold and silver medals, the total number of medals won by the Maldivian contingent at IOIG 2019 has reached nine. It is notable that Maldives won the same amount at IOIG 2015.