The Football Association has decided to start the Atoll and Zone Football Tournament this year. The decision was made during the first ExCo meeting held by the newly appointed President Ahmed Thoriq (Tom) on Saturday, with the aim of encouraging the establishment of Regional Associations as stipulated in Article 86 of the FAM regulations. However, the specific date for organizing and holding this tournament will be determined after appointing members to the FAM committees. Currently, the selection of committee members has been delegated to the clubs.
The Atoll and Zone Football Tournament was once a highly popular event in the Maldives. However, it has not been held recently due to numerous financial issues. These include problems such as unpaid bills to hotels, cafes, and guesthouses in the islands where FAM held tournaments. One of the major issues that escalated before the most recent FAM election was the denial of voting rights to teams from the atolls. However, FIFA officials who visited the Maldives instructed to postpone this matter this time.
