Maldives' 9-year-old Aaliya stuns by defeating Sri Lankan champion

Nine-year-old Maldivian surfer Aaliyah Latheef has won the Women’s Open category at the SFSL Surf Championships 2026 – Arugam Bay Series, organised by the Surfing Federation of Sri Lanka (SFSL).

Aaliyah achieved the feat in a highly competitive field featuring surfers from Sri Lanka and around the world. She is a national athlete representing the Maldives’ women’s surfing team.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sri Lanka’s reigning Junior Women’s Champion, Sayuni Anjana, who is older and more experienced than Aaliyah, secured second place in the Open category. Switzerland’s Camille Etter, who has recently shown significant progress in competitions organised by the Swiss Surfing Association, finished third.

Following a series of highly competitive heats, Aaliyah delivered an outstanding performance in the final to claim the top spot, marking the first major international victory of her surfing career.

Aaliyah previously made history in Maldivian women’s surfing at the age of eight by winning the Under-18 Women’s category at the inaugural National Junior Surfing Championships 2025, organised by the Maldives Surfing Association (MSA), with a score of 10.23 points.

By claiming an international Open category title at just nine years old, Aaliyah has further demonstrated the promising future of surfing in the Maldives.