Male' Maldives: Maldives recorded a landmark victory in the Women’s CAVA Cup 2025 last night, defeating Kyrgyzstan to register their first win over the Central Asian side in six years.
The triumph marks a significant milestone for Maldivian women’s volleyball, especially as it came on home soil.
The last time Maldives overcame Kyrgyzstan was in 2019, during the Central Zone Women’s Volleyball Tournament, when Maldives advanced to the final. Since then, Kyrgyzstan had dominated the rivalry, including two victories over Maldives at last year’s CAVA Challenge Cup, also held in Maldives.
Both teams entered the highly anticipated encounter in strong form, having secured convincing 3–0 wins over Bangladesh and Afghanistan in their opening league matches. However, it was Kyrgyzstan who made the stronger start on the night, claiming the first set 25–15 as Maldives struggled with unforced errors.
Demonstrating resilience and composure, Maldives regrouped impressively. Correcting their mistakes and raising their intensity, they staged a remarkable comeback to win the next three sets by scores of 23–25, 19–25 and 22–25, sealing a memorable 3–1 victory.
Captain Hawwa Rashidha and Vice Captain Fathimath Joozan Zareer led from the front, setting the tone both on and off the court under the guidance of head coach Mohamed Nadheem (Nadheembe).
Strong contributions also came from Aminath Shaha Shamin, Maya Hussain, Mariyam Azuma and Nareema Idhurees (Nanni), who all delivered composed performances at crucial moments.
With the league round concluded, Maldives finished at the top of the standings and will face bottom-placed Bangladesh in the semi-final. Bangladesh endured a difficult campaign, losing all of their league matches.
In the second semi-final, second-placed Kyrgyzstan will take on Afghanistan. Both semi-finals are scheduled for tomorrow evening and night, while the third-place playoff and the final will be contested on Thursday.
The Maldives women’s volleyball team have previously secured silver medals at international competitions and are now firmly focused on achieving a historic gold medal at the Women’s CAVA Cup 2025.
