The third edition of the Revival Sports Eydhafushi Junior Open 2026 got underway on Friday at the Eydhafushi Youth Centre, with young badminton talents from across the Maldives delivering an exciting opening day of competition.

The four-day tournament, featuring 150 players and 204 entries across 22 events, began with matches in multiple boys’ and girls’ singles and doubles categories, as athletes battled for places in the later rounds.

In the Under-9 girls’ singles, Ainy Shihan secured a comfortable 15-2, 15-6 victory over Hiza Zora to advance, while in the Under-11 girls’ singles, Maavy Shihan defeated Aishath Yoodh Binthi Ali Rasheed 15-5, 15-4. Kaira Wasiu also progressed after edging Aminath Malaika Mohamed Idrees in straight sets, 16-14, 15-12.

One of the closest matches of the morning came in the Under-11 girls’ singles, where Yailyn Ahmed Rishfan recovered after dropping the opening set to defeat Yana Binth Hassan Niyaz 20-21, 15-10, 15-6.

The boys’ events also produced several dominant performances. In the Under-15 boys’ singles, top seed Risham Abdul Fathah cruised past Mohamed Shizaan Shareef 15-2, 15-1, while Ahmed Akil Masuood recorded a commanding 15-3, 15-2 victory over Ahmed Zaik Zaeem.

Mohamed Yuan Arafath Saeed impressed in the same category with a convincing 15-3, 15-4 win against Maleek Mohamed Arif, while second seed Yoosuf Shail Ismail defeated Marvin Hussain Rasheed 15-10, 15-4.

In the Under-9 boys’ singles, Kaisan Luke Fiyaz delivered one of the most dominant performances of the day, defeating Kaisaan Bin Nashid Ahmed 15-0, 15-2.

The doubles events saw competitive encounters throughout the evening session. Mariyam Ayra Naseem and Yailyn Ahmed Rishfan advanced in the Under-11 girls’ doubles with a 15-7, 15-6 win over Aysha Ahmed Shareef and Yana Binth Hassan Niyaz, while Maavy Shihan and Mariyam Mia Mamdhoon secured a 15-7, 15-3 victory against Airene Aiman Shareef and Alaika Ali Ameen.

In the Under-13 girls’ doubles, Aisha Haajar Hanis Moosa and Meefa Binth Moosa survived a close contest against Aishath Alaya Nadeem and Marsha Hussain Rasheed, winning 15-11, 16-14.

Several tightly contested matches also highlighted the Under-15 girls’ singles draw. Aika Zeedhaan Ali battled back from a set down to defeat Aishath Zakaa Ahmed 17-19, 15-11, 15-9, while Ashna Binthi Abdulla Rasheed edged Aishath Nyam Saaidh 16-14, 16-14 in another intense encounter.

The opening day concluded with round-robin matches in the Under-17 and Under-19 girls’ doubles categories, where players continued to showcase strong competitiveness and determination.

Following an action-packed opening day, young badminton players from across the Maldives are set for a busy second day featuring Round of 16 clashes, quarter-finals and group-stage doubles matches across multiple age categories.

The morning session will focus heavily on the Under-11 and Under-13 girls’ singles divisions, with several promising players battling for quarter-final places. Among the notable matchups are Kaira Wasiu taking on Aishath Kaileen Hussain, while Yailyn Ahmed Rishfan faces Anam Binth Mohamed Nahyaan in the Under-11 category.

In the Under-13 girls’ singles, top seed Aishath Alaya Nadeem begins her knockout campaign against Luyoon Ibrahim Shaheem, while fourth seed Afaf Mohamed Ikram faces Aisha Haajar Hanis Moosa in one of the standout fixtures of the round.

The boys’ singles divisions are also expected to produce intense contests as seeded players continue their title pursuits. Under-15 top seed Risham Abdul Fathah meets Vilan Shafee Ali in the quarter-finals, while Ahmed Akil Masuood takes on third seed Eelaaf Mohamed Ikram.

Mohamed Yuan Arafath Saeed will face fourth seed Yoosuf Ethaan Bin Shifaz in another highly anticipated Under-15 quarter-final clash, while second seed Yoosuf Shail Ismail comes up against Looth Ahmed Naseer.

The Under-9 and Under-11 boys’ singles quarter-finals are also scheduled throughout the late morning and afternoon sessions, with several athletes aiming to continue impressive starts to the tournament. Kaisan Luke Fiyaz will face Aan Ibrahim Shaheed in the Under-9 quarter-finals after his dominant opening-round victory on Friday.

In the older age groups, Under-17 and Under-19 boys’ singles quarter-finals are scheduled for the evening session, including matches involving Revival Sports Eydhafushi players Mohamed Ilaan Bin Rilwan and Yoosuf Zeek Zuhan.

Doubles events will also take centre stage later in the day, with quarter-final matches across Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 categories. Several competitive pairings are expected in the boys’ and girls’ doubles draws as players compete for semi-final spots.

Organized in collaboration with Revival Sports and Revival Sports Eydhafushi, the Junior Open has continued to establish itself as one of the country’s leading grassroots badminton tournaments, providing valuable match experience and competitive exposure for developing athletes from across the Maldives.