The first Maldivian athlete to qualify for the Olympics, Fathimath Dheema Ali, has been welcomed back with a special ceremony held to honour her outstanding achievement.
The first Maldivian athlete to qualify for the Olympics, Fathimath Dheema Ali, has been welcomed back with a special ceremony held to honour her outstanding achievement.
Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu and Olympic Committee Chairman Mohamed AbduSattar attended this ceremony held at the Social Center this afternoon.
Many athletes were also in attendance, including table tennis players.
Dheema entered the Social Center hall accompanied by a parade of performers of traditional music and dance. As she walked down the red carpet, sports officials and athletes lined up on the sides applauding her.
Sports Minister Rafiu said that Dheema's victory is a result of perseverance and hard work.
"Hard work. Dedication. Determination. These are words that athletes must never forget," Rafiu said.
The Minister especially appreciated the roles of Dheema's parents in her success. He described their dedication in spending long periods abroad for Dheema's trainings as a sacrifice the parents had made for the nation.
"I extend heartfelt gratitude to Dheema's parents for making all these sacrifices, and going through all this, and today bringing us this huge honour that makes the entire nation proud," Rafiu said.
AbduSattar called on other athletes to get inspiration from Dheema's journey and success, and strive for such wins.
He said that previously, Maldivians had not even considered it possible that they can qualify and compete in the Olympics. With Dheema's win, athletes believe today that it is, in fact, possible, and it has given them new resolve, he said.
"We are seeing the results today of Dheema's work that she did with a focus on that. Holiday or not, she continued to strive," AbduSattar said.
"What Dheema has achieved is something larger than we can even envisage," he said.
President of the Table Tennis Association of Maldives highlighted the work dedicated to Dheema that has been done by the association for ten years. Ali said that the training camps in Croatia and China contributed towards Dheema's success.
Dheema won the qualifiers held in Nepal after competing with Sri Lankan champion Bimandi Bandara, finishing off with a stark 4-1 difference on Wednesday.
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