National surf league kicks off with "Muleekolhu Raalhu Gan'du" in Muli

The first tournament of this year’s National Surf League, titled "Muleekolhu Raalhu Gan’du," officially began today in Muli, Meemu Atoll, with heats in both the Open and Junior categories.

The Open category kicked off early this morning with 22 surfers competing in the initial heats, while 21 surfers are participating in the Junior category.

The first round of the Open section delivered strong performances. Surfers placing first and second in each heat secured direct entry into the third round, while the others moved to the second round for another chance to qualify.

Heat 1: Rising star Sayyid Salahuddin delivered a surprise upset, defeating reigning league champion Hood Ahmed (Hubz). Sayyid scored 10.83 points, while Hood managed 8.16 points. Jailam Nizar placed third with 5.00 points, followed by Ibrahim Zaki with 3.47 points.

Heat 2: Kayan Abdullah Arif led with 8.50 points, followed by Yasin Ahmed Nashid with 6.46 points. Ahmed Rasheed and Naufal Ahmed placed third and fourth, respectively.

Heat 3: In a tightly contested heat, Adam Mueen Ibrahim edged past reigning champion Ismail Rashid (Smiley) by just 0.13 points, scoring 7.83. Hassan Nasih (Chika) finished third, narrowly missing the mark with waves scoring 3.83 and 3.73. Mohamed Ibrahim followed in fourth.

Heat 4: Ahmed Aagil (Ammade) topped the scoreboard with the highest score of the round, while Nooh Mohamed Duneim Irshad placed second. Shaihan Hussain Solah and Abdullah Arif (Fuku) followed.

Heat 5: Haadi Mohamed Inan Abdul Hannan won with 7.87 points, narrowly beating Yousuf Kayan Hamdan Zaki, who scored 6.66 points.

Heat 6: The final heat saw Najah Mohammed (Kabo) score 11.34 points — the highest after Sayyid — while Aiham Adnan and Ahmed Luzein followed with 6.23 and 5.53 points, respectively.

The Junior category also commenced with strong performances, especially from defending champion Heedi Inan and standout performer Sayyid.

Heat 1: Defending champion Inan led the round with an impressive 13.67 points, followed by Mohamed Ahil Ibrahim with 4.03 points.

Heat 2: Nooh Mohamed won with 9.67 points, while Luzein placed second at 6.83.

Heat 3: Yasin Ahmed Nashid scored 11.00 points, securing first place over Ahmed Aal Adhil with 4.30.

Heat 4: Kayan Zaki dominated with 12.00 points, while Ahmed Ulwan followed with 4.67.

Heat 5: Sayyid posted the highest score of the junior heats, totaling 15.33 points with two stellar waves of 8.33 and 7.00 points. Hussain Azan Ismail came second with 6.30.

Heat 6: Kayan Arif finished first with 12.50 points, followed by Ahmed Rafan Rauf with 6.17.

The "Muleekolhu Raalhu Gan’du" marks a strong start to the National Surf League 2025, showcasing the rising talent in Maldivian surfing and setting the stage for fierce competition in the rounds ahead.