Maldives National Badminton Team players Aminath Nabaaha (Naba) and Aminath Nabeeha (Naby) have qualified for the 2021 BWF World Championship in Spain this month. This is the biggest success in the history of Maldives Badminton.
This is the first time that Maldivian players are going to represent Maldives in the badminton World Championship. This year, Naba had taken part in the Olympics becoming the first female Maldivian badminton player to compete in that tournament.
“I’m happiest because both of us can participate in such a big tournament together,” said Naby who is currently competing in the Bangladesh International Challenge.
The BWF World Championship will be held from December 12-19. They earned a spot in the women’s doubles first stage after evaluating their performance in global championships. In the latest world rankings, Naba and Naby’s pair was at 117th place.
In 2019, this pair was at the top 100 rankings in the BWF women’s doubles rankings. They are the first 2 Maldivian players who got in the top 100 ranks in a world-ranking event.
Naba and Naby’s pair has won 9 medals for Maldives in international tournaments. The most highlighted one was when they got the gold medal in the 2019 Pakistan Championship. This is the first time that Maldives won a gold medal in a BWF supported tournament’s women’s doubles.
Before that, Naby and Naba’s pair had won 4 silver and 4 bronze medals in international tournaments. They got the silver medals in 2019’s Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG), South Asian under-21 championship in 2017 & 2018, and Mauritian Badminton Series in 2018.
The 4 bronze medals were earned in Mauritian Badminton Series 2017 & 2019, South Asian under-21 championship 2019, and Nepa Championship in 2018.
Naba and Naby’s pair is the National Women’s Doubles champions for three years in a row. Both of them are currently in Bangladesh competing in the Bangladesh International Challenge. They will both play together in women’s doubles in that tournament. They will participate in singles as well.
Naba and Naby’s pair will play against Russia’s Ekaterina Malkova and Alina Davletova’s pair. This pair is at the world ranking’s 34th spot. Naby and Naba will depart to Spain on this month’s 10.
--Article and graphics by Adhadhu
