TFT makes history by winning Eid Baibalaa Challenge 1446

The Football Town (TFT) has made history by clinching the title at the Eid Baibalaa Challenge 1446, defeating Lorenzo Sports Club in the final with two straight games.

TFT also took home the Fairplay Award, with Hassan Thauheed (Thau) being named the Man of the Match for the final.

In the semi-finals, TFT defeated last year’s runners-up, Club Kaasinjee (CK), with a commanding two-game win. Lorenzo, on the other hand, stunned the competition by overcoming Zeppo, who had already shocked some of the strongest teams in this year's tournament.

This marks the first time that both TFT and Lorenzo reached the final.

TFT becomes the 11th team to win the prestigious Baibalaa Challenge, a tournament held annually since 1996 in celebration of Eid al-Fitr. The record 10-time champions, BC Sports Club, were eliminated by CK in the quarter-finals.

TFT’s journey to the final included a victory against reigning champions Buru Sports Club in the tournament's opening match. They continued their winning streak by defeating BG New Generation and TC Sports Club in the quarter-finals. Lorenzo advanced to the semi-finals after wins against VK Sports Club, TC Fraternity, and LT Sports.

In addition to winning the title, TFT was named the Fairplay Team of the Tournament. The Most Popular Team award, decided by PSM Air, went to Kudahenveiru United, with 14,098 votes, while Ibrahim Luban of Kudahenveiru Lions was named the Most Popular Player with 10,837 votes.

The Dream Team for the tournament included TFT's Thau, Ijaabath Latheef, Mohamed Rilwan (BulhaaMode), and Ibrahim Mubeen Ahmed Rasheed (Mukki); Lorenzo’s Abdulla Nishan (Abo) and Ahmed Raslan (Rasey); Kudahenveiru Lions’ Mohamed Naseeh Asjad and Mohamed Shayam Alsan; CK’s Ahmed Mohamed (Ammadey) and Zeppo’s Ahmed Ranin. Ahmed Nasir was recognized as the Best Coach.

The title of Mr Baibalaa went to Lorenzo's Abo, marking his fourth win of the award. Abo previously won the title in 2012 and 2015, making him the player with the most Mr. Baibalaa titles.

Mohamed Shinan (Naani) and Aslam Waheed have each won the title three times.

A total of 29 teams competed in this year's tournament, which was organized by the Baibalaa Association of Maldives at Hulhumale' Central Park, starting on April 1. The stage setup by Stage Co, in collaboration with HDC, also received praise.