Ali Thameem
Fathmath Nabaha is the champion of women’s singles at the Botswana International, after defeating her Revivals SC teammate and twin sister Aminath Nabeeha in the final.
With that, Nabaha has become the first Maldivian to win a singles gold medal in a BWF-sanctioned tournament. This is also the first time a Maldivian qualified for a singles final. Therefore, having played the Botswana International’s singles final, both Nabaha and Nabeeha have made history.
The final game’s score was 22-20, 14-21, 21-15. The score indicates that all three sets were decided on close calls. Nabeeha had been just two points short of winning one of the sets.
In yesterday’s semifinal games, both of them had to face opponents from Azerbaijan. Nabeeha’s semifinal opponent Era Maftuha, one of the highest-ranked female players, was seeded second in the tournament behind Nabaha. But she managed to win the game by two sets to one.
Nabaha, the top-seeded female player in the tournament, had to face Hajar Nuriyewa of Azerbaijan in the singles semifinals. Nabaha won the game in two straight sets.
Botswana International is the second tournament in which the Revival SC players Nibal Ahmed, Zayan Zaki and the two twin sisters have taken part in Africa this November. Earlier this month, The team played in the Zambia International, where Nabaha and Nabeeha won gold medals in women’s doubles.
In yesterday’s mixed doubles final, Nabaha won silver alongside Zayan Zaki, having lost the game against a South African pair by 21-23, 18-21. The Revival’s mixed doubles pair had won bronze in Zambia earlier this month.
In the men’s doubles event in Botswana, Zayan Zaki and Nibal Ahmed made it to the semis and won the bronze medal. Nabeeha and Nabaha’s pair won bronze in women’s doubles.
Therefore Revival SC have won five medals in Botswana International. With the three medals won in Zambia, the Revival SC team will return to Maldives having won a total of eight medals from their tour in Africa. What’s remarkable is that six of those medals – either in singles or in doubles – were earned by Fathmath Nabaha.
