When Aishath Nazaha started playing badminton a year ago, she never thought it would take her to places she could only once dream of.

“The first time I left my country was in 2022 to go to a training camp in Korea. I was all alone, it was scary but once I got there, I had a great time. I learnt so much, met so many people like me,” said the 24-year-old from Maldives who plays in the Short Stature (SH6) class.

As a recipient of the BWF Female Participation Grant 2023, Nazaha’s travel and participation at the BWF Thailand Para International 2023 – her debut international event – were taken care of and she is officially classified by BWF Classifiers.

Inspired by England’s SH6 star Rachel Choong, Nazaha said: “This grant gives me the chance to play badminton with my peers and meet world class players. It’s like a dream but it’s happening for real.”

There was a time when Nazaha had ambitions to be a nurse.

“I know at some point I want to study biology. I find it very interesting what happens with scientific research in labs.”

She’s also recently developed an interest in the mysteries of outer space and planets.

“It’s fascinating. It’s mainly because of my younger cousin. When we hang out, we are always reading and watching shows about it. Who knows? Maybe astronomy is something I can do in the future.”