In the men's open category at the Rannamari Challenge 1445, surfers who are in the top 10 of the Maldives Surf League have been strategically placed in the heats. One change in this year's league is the introduction of a ranking system that qualifies surfers for the final event, the Rannamari Challenge. The top 28 ranked surfers, based on their top three scores out of the first four series in the league, have secured their spots in this prestigious competition.
What makes this year's event even more exciting is the introduction of seeding. For the first time, athletes will be seeded, and the competition will take place among those who have successfully qualified for the Rannamari Challenge. The top four athletes have been seeded in the fourth round, while the remaining six, ranked from 5 to 10, have been seeded at the beginning of the third round.
In the fourth round, surfers to watch include Hussain Areef (Ibu), Ismail Rashid (Smiley), Najah Mohamed (Kabo), and Ahmed Agil (Ammaday). The third round begins with Hood Ahmed (Hoobz), Adam Mueen Ibrahim, Mohamed Irshad (Billu), Sayyid Salahuddin, Ismail Miglal (Kuda Isse), and Hasan Nasih (Chika).
The first round heats for the men's open category concluded today, despite heavy rain. Six heats took place, with the winners of each heat securing a direct spot in the third round. The remaining athletes will compete in the second round.
Second-round heats are as follows:
Heat 1: Yaman Ibrahim, Mohamed Fayaz (Pele), Ibrahim Latheef, Abdulla Arshad
Heat 2: Mohamed Zayan (Choppu), Yusuf Kayan Hamdan Zaki, Mohamed Inan Abdul Hannan, Ahmed Midshan
Heat 3: Kayan Abdulla Areef, Mohamed Rifas Abdul Razzaq, Azli Naseem, Shanif Shafiq
The top two athletes from each of the three heats in the second round will advance to the third round.
In the first heat of the first round for the open division, Ibrahim Aiman Arif took the lead with a total score of seven points. The second place was secured by Yaman Ibrahim and the third by Mohamed Inan Abdul Hannan, each with 5.50 points. Abdullah Areef (Fuku) won the second heat by 0.66 points, scoring a total of 11.66 points and surpassing Mohamed Fayaz (Pele).
The third heat was won by Yasin Ahmed Nashid with a total score of 10.33, while Kayan Abdulla Areef finished second with 8.07 points. National team athlete Jailam Nizar won the fourth heat with a total of 7.17 points, just 0.01 points ahead of Mohamed Rifas Abdul Razzaq. Abdullah Arshad finished third with a score of 4.36.
Aiham Adnan secured the top position in the fifth heat with a total of 6.83 points. Mohamed Zayan (Choppu) came in second with a total of 5.13 points. Ahmed Arzan won the last heat with a total of 8.66 points, while Yusuf Kayan Hamdan Zaki followed closely in second place with 6.03 points, and Azli Naseem placed third with 5.04 points.
The third round heats for the Masters category were held today, and the top two athletes from each heat advanced to the fourth round.
Ahmed Rasheed, last year's Masters category champion, did not participate this year, but the runner-up, Mohamed Vishal Ali, competed. Unfortunately, in the first heat of the third round, he did not secure a place among the top two athletes and has now concluded his tournament.
In the first heat, Mohamed Fayaz (Pele) led the third round with a total score of 4.03 points, while Abdul Ghafoor Ali (Gabe) followed in second place with a score of 3.87. Vishal scored 2.50 points.
Hussain Nizam won the second heat with a total score of 7.83 points, with Azli Naseem finishing second at 5.73 points. Ahmed Sharoon Ahmed secured third place with 3.10 points. Ibrahim Latheef emerged victorious in the third heat with a total score of 6.57, while Hussain Fayaz secured second place with 5.06 points. Ali Niyaz finished third with 3.80 points.
The fourth round of the Masters category will feature two heats. Mohamed Fayaz (Pele), Abdul Ghafoor Ali (Gabe), and Hussain Fayaz will compete in the first heat, while the second heat will include Ibrahim Latheef, Hussain Nizam, and Azli Naseem. The top two athletes from each heat in the fourth round will advance to the quarter-finals.
Sign In