Maldives' Aishath Rafa Nazim has secured a win in the first stage match of the Asian Games 2026 Table Tennis Women's Singles Event.
The sporting event is taking place in Aichi-Nagoya, with Rafa beating Bangladesh's Naureen Mahi in the first match of Women's Singles with a set score of 4-2.
The match that was played today saw Naureen win the first set with a score of 11-9. However, Rafa won the second set with a score of 12-10 and equalized.
Naureen took the lead once more in the third set with a score of 11-7. Rafa won the last three sets with scores of 11-6, 11-5 and 11-9.
The other singles match that was held today was played between Maldives' Fathimath Dheema Ali and North Korea's Kum Yon Kim, where Dheema suffered a straight four-set defeat.
Maldives faced off against South Korea, an international powerhouse, in the Women's Team Event and lost 3-0.
Nevertheless, Maldivian players showed notable skill against strong international teams in doubles matches for separate events.
In the Women's Doubles Event, Dheema and Rafa were paired up and played against Indonesia's pair, showcasing great plays and took it to the final set of the match. After the third set, both teams showed competitive plays, with the Maldivian pair losing 3-2.
Indonesia secured their win against Maldives in the fifth set with a close score of 11-9.
Maldives' Shaffan Mohamed Ismail and Dheema were paired for the Mixed Doubles Event, where they played well against India's number one pair. The Maldives pair lost with a set score of 3-2. Dheema and Shaffan took the match to the fifth set.
