Maldivian TT team secure bronze at South Asian qualifiers

The Maldivian women's and men's table tennis teams have returned to the Maldives with a bronze medal from the South Asian Qualifier for the ITTF World Team Championships, held in Nepal.

Upon their arrival at Velana International Airport (VIA), the teams were welcomed by Sports Commissioner Mohamed Tholal, officials from the Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC), the Sports Ministry, and the TT Association.

The men's TT team secured a bronze medal in the tournament, marking a historic achievement as it is the first time a Maldives men's team has won a bronze medal in a South Asian tournament. The men's team defeated Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but lost three straight games to India. This is the first time in the history of Maldivian men's TT that Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have been defeated by the Maldives.

The Maldivian women's team also achieved success, defeating both the Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi women's teams. Their matches against Nepal and India resulted in losses.

The men's national TT team includes Munsif, Ahyaar Ahmed Khalid, Mohamed Shaffan Ismail, and Zeesth Naseem. The women's team is comprised of Fathimath Dheema Ali, Aishath Rafa Nazim, Mishka Mohamed Ibrahim, and Alsa Nafiz.

The qualifiers saw participation from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and host country Nepal, in addition to the Maldives.