Maldives’ Nabeeha Advances to Second Round at Aichi–Nagoya 2026
The Maldives made a strong start to the badminton competition at the 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026, with Aminath Nabeeha Abdul Razzaq producing a commanding performance to advance to the second round of the women’s singles.
Competing at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Aichi, Nabeeha faced Mongolia’s Enkhlen Selmeg-Od in her opening match. The Maldivian controlled the contest from the outset, taking the first game 21–8 before delivering an even more decisive performance in the second to close out the match 21–3.
Nabeeha’s straight-games victory secured her place in the second round and provided an encouraging opening to the Maldives’ badminton fixtures at the Games.
In the men’s singles, Hussein Zayan Shaheed Zaki met Mongolia’s Batdavaa Munkhbat. After Munkhbat claimed the opening game 21–12, Zayan mounted a stronger challenge in the second and remained within contention before the Mongolian completed a 21–17 victory.
The Maldives will have two further athletes entering the singles competition in the second round on 27 September. Fathimath Nabaaha Abdul Razzaq will face an opponent from Singapore in the women’s singles, while Nibal Ahmed will begin his men’s singles competition against a Sri Lankan opponent.
