Minister Abdullah Rafiu has stated that although the Ministry of Sports and Fitness has many resources, there hasn’t been a way to maintain these resources until now. He added that with the establishment of new Fitness and Recreation Centers, this issue will be resolved. The Minister mentioned that permission has now been granted to hire civil servants for these newly established centers. He emphasized that the most important task of these centers would be to maintain them and prevent deterioration. After signing the agreement to establish outdoor gyms and Fitness and Recreation Centers, Minister Rafiu provided details about the activities that will be conducted in these centers.
“Fitness and Recreation Centers are not just places for sports; they are venues that include board games and aerobic activities,” the Minister said. He stated that various training programs organized by the ministry will also be held at these recreation centers. The Minister mentioned that these places could be used for classroom training programs and that there would also be space for training programs conducted by other ministries. He noted that in the future, these recreation activities would be seen as places that unite and bring together the general public, in addition to sports. The Minister stated that the newly established facilities would cater to all age groups.
Establishing outdoor gyms and Fitness and Recreation Centers on all inhabited islands of the Maldives by the end of 2026 is a pledge of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Highlighting that the work on establishing fitness centers has now begun in line with the President’s promise, the Minister said that starting work on establishing facilities in an additional 134 islands is the biggest step taken in this project. The Minister has noted that this project is an important and beneficial one for the Maldivian people. “The most important reason is that it’s a very significant step taken for us, the people, to maintain fitness, to stay active, to maintain a healthy body and good health,” the Minister said.
The Ministry of Sports has so far assigned the establishment of 87 FRCs (Fitness and Recreation Centers) to government-owned companies and private companies. Of these, work on three fitness centers has been completed, while 28 projects are currently ongoing. Additionally, the contract phase for establishing 43 fitness centers is in progress, and the Ministry of Sports has revealed that 21 more FRCs will be assigned for establishment this year and next year.
