Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Maldivian table tennis players Fathimath Dheema Ali and Aishath Rafa Nazim have secured a bronze medal at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games after reaching the semi-finals of the women’s doubles competition in Riyadh.
The result marks another major achievement for Maldivian table tennis on the international stage.
Dheema and Rafa opened their campaign with a confident straight-sets victory over Pakistan’s Hoor Fawad and Kalsoom Khan, winning 11–7, 11–7, 11–9. The pair then produced one of the most composed performances of their young careers in the quarter-finals against Egypt’s Yusra Ashraf Abduraziq and Hind Mohamed Fathuhy Abdul Khaleem.
After losing the first game 11–3, the Maldivian duo regrouped and showed exceptional determination, taking control of the match to win the next three games 11–9, 13–11 and 11–5, booking their place in the semi-finals and securing at least a bronze medal.
Their semi-final challenge came against Turkey’s Ece Haraç and Özge Yılmaz, one of the strongest pairs in the tournament. The Turkish team won the opening two games 11–7 and 11–5, but Dheema and Rafa refused to bow out easily, fighting back to claim the third game 11–7. Turkey, however, regained momentum and closed out the match 11–6 in the fourth game, placing the Maldivian pair in the bronze-medal position.
This medal is a significant moment for the Maldives, marking only the second time in history that the nation has won a medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in table tennis.
The first came in Konya 2022, when the Maldives women’s team claimed bronze after reaching the semi-finals before losing to Iran.
The positive results for the Maldives in Riyadh extended beyond the women’s doubles event. In the men’s doubles competition, Moosa Munsif Ahmed and Mohamed Shaffan Ismail reached the quarter-finals following a strong showing.
The mixed doubles pair of Munsif and Rafa also reached the quarter-finals, adding further encouragement for the sport’s development in the country.
Dheema and Rafa’s bronze medal highlights the continuing progress of Maldivian table tennis on the international front. Their performance in Riyadh reflects not only their individual talent but also the growing strength, discipline, and ambition within the national program. As the Maldives looks toward future regional and international competitions, this achievement stands as a reminder of the potential within Maldivian table tennis and the rising standards being set by its young athletes.
