FIFA’s Head of Governance, Rolf Tanner, has expressed hope that the new leadership of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) will work to promote football by holding tournaments in different regions of the country instead of just in Male’ City. Tanner said that FIFA will assist in advancing football in the Maldives and that young players need to be utilized in the most desirable way. Tanner stated that FIFA’s hope is for FAM to develop and further advance football, just like football associations and federations in other countries. Tanner said that the formation of a new executive committee and handing over FAM’s management to a new team is an important step towards advancing football in the Maldives.
Tanner also expressed hope that FAM’s new management will plan their work focusing on promoting football in the atolls and young players. Creating regional associations in four regions of the Maldives and working to promote football in the atolls is a promise of FAM’s new president, Ahmed Thoriq. Thoriq has also stated that he will bring Maldivian football back to its former position and change the current system of holding tournaments only in Male’ to allow tournaments to be held in the atolls.
While many of the Maldives’ skilled players are those who have trained in the atolls and then played for Male’ clubs and also play important roles in the national team, football experts believe that Maldivian football can be taken to the next level by promoting it in the atolls. Moreover, with the changes brought to the Sports Act, it mandates the decentralization and expansion of sports throughout the Maldives.
