Maldives has left its mark at the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) 2023, by bagging silver and bronze in Taekwondo.

This was the first time the island nation competed in the Taekwondo event at a multi-sport international tournament, and has made history by bringing home silver and bronze medals.

Maldivian athletes Ahmed Fazeel and Fathimath Ibrahim won silver medals at the event, with athletes Jannath Jawad and Fathimath Ibrahim winning bronze.

As such, Fathimath Ibrahim won silver in the 53 kilogram category as well as a bronze category in the below 62 category.

Ahmed Fazeel won silver in the below 87 kilogram category, with Jannath Jawad winning bronze in the below 46 kilogram category.

Congratulating the Maldivian athletes for bringing home the first international medals in Taekwondo in their first ever international tournament, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof commended them for making history.

The minister went on to express his contentment with the progress and incredible achievements made in just four years, after President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih inaugurated the National Martial Arts Center back in 2020.

The Maldives Taekwondo team headed to Madagascar for this year’s IOIG with an aim to bring home gold. The team of five players is led by a Moroccan national, Coach Adnane Kanane, Head Coach of the Maldives Taekwondo Federation.

The coach and his team had been preparing for the IOIG for over a year.

Alongside Taekwondo, Maldives Table Tennis teams have also won medals at this year’s IOIG. As such, the women’s TT team defended its gold medal at the tournament, with men’s TT team having secured silver medals for the first time in a multi-sport international tournament.