Lusaka, Zambia: Revival Sports Club has made a resounding comeback to the international badminton arena, capturing Mixed Doubles gold and Women’s Doubles silver at the Zambia International 2025.

The achievements mark an inspiring start to the club’s three-nation African tour and the Maldives’ first participation in a BWF-sanctioned event since the national suspension.

Their return was made possible after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) granted a temporary exemption, allowing Maldivian athletes to rejoin international competition following nearly a year away from the global stage.

Revival’s High Performance team, Nibal Ahmed, Zayan Zaki, Hassan Zayan Mohamed, Haisham Ibrahim Ali, Fathimath Nabaha (Naba), and Aminath Nabeeha (Naby), entered a full spread of categories and delivered strong, determined performances across all events.

Despite early exits in singles, the team’s competitive spirit remained evident. In men’s singles, Haisham and Hassan were eliminated in qualifying by India’s Sree Yashwanth A.S Sathish Kumar, while Nibal and Zayan fell in hard-fought Round of 32 matches to Indian opponents. In women’s singles, Naby pushed South Africa’s Johanita Scholtz to three games before bowing out, while Naba advanced convincingly through the first round but exited in the Round of 16 after a close contest with Egypt’s second seed, Nour Ahmed Youssri.

Revival’s momentum surged in the doubles brackets. In men’s doubles, Hassan and Haisham narrowly lost a dramatic three-game match to Zimbabwe’s Paul Kopolo and Thabani Mathe, and Nibal and Zayan reached the Round of 16 before being halted by India’s Anuj Kale and Ian Lopes. However, the real breakthrough came in the mixed doubles and women’s doubles events, where Revival not only reached both finals, but delivered standout medal-winning performances.

In the Mixed Doubles final, the Maldivian pair Zayan Zaki and Naba showcased composure, experience, and tactical precision in a thrilling gold-medal match against Egypt’s fourth-seeded duo Ezzat Kareem Mahmoud and Nour Ahmed Youssri. The Revival pair secured the title with a 21–18, 22–20 victory, earning their third BWF final win as a pair, adding to previous appearances at the 2019 Pakistan International and the 2024 Botswana International. This gold also strengthens Revival’s growing legacy in mixed doubles on the international stage.

In the Women’s Doubles final, sisters Naba and Naby continued to demonstrate why they are one of the Maldives’ most decorated badminton pairs. Facing South Africa’s Amy Ackerman and Johanita Scholtz, the Maldivian duo delivered a determined performance but ultimately fell 16–21, 14–21, securing a well-earned silver medal. This marks the pair’s 13th international medal together, comprising four gold, four silver, and five bronze medals, and their fourth appearance in a BWF Women’s Doubles final after Pakistan 2019, Botswana 2023, and Zambia 2024.

With these results, Revival Sports continues to elevate the standards of Maldivian badminton. Across BWF-sanctioned tournaments, the club has now accumulated two gold medals in mixed doubles, two golds in women’s doubles, and one gold in women’s singles, solidifying its status as the driving force behind the country’s international badminton resurgence.

Revival’s impressive showing in Zambia, achieved despite limited preparation time and the challenges of rebuilding ranking points lost during the suspension period, signals a powerful message ahead of the remaining tour stops in Botswana and South Africa: Maldivian badminton is back, stronger and more determined than ever.