Minister of Sports and Fitness, Abdullah Rafi’u, has stated that success is linked to long-term effort and good conduct. The Sports Minister made these remarks while speaking at the closing ceremony of the Second National Shooting Championship, which he graced as the chief guest. The Minister said that behind every success lies relentless and immense effort, as well as good moral character. Emphasizing that achieving success is not easy, the Minister stated that it is something that takes a long time to accomplish. The Minister said that success in sports comes from dedicating a lot of time and fully immersing oneself in the sport. He added that success is tied to long-term hard work, time invested, and good conduct. Therefore, the Minister advised that those who wish to become successful athletes in sports should strive to embody these qualities.
“It’s a sport that requires a lot of time investment, and as Maldivians would say, getting lost in it, deeply immersing oneself in it, giving all that time and effort. Every sport is like that. So I would say that success comes from working consistently for a very long time, investing a lot of time, and moving forward with very good discipline. That’s how we can reach success,” the Minister said.
Addressing the participants of the shooting competition, the Minister said that even if they didn’t reach the podium this time, every athlete who competed has already achieved fifty percent of success. The Minister congratulated and thanked the athletes for securing the opportunity to participate in such a competition. “Even those who didn’t appear on stage in this competition, I would say that participating in the competition completes fifty percent of success. So for participating in the competition, I extend a very warm welcome to all of you, thank you very much,” the Minister said. While speaking to the shooters at this event, the Minister made an important appeal. He emphasized the importance of each athlete obeying their parents, complying with the association’s instructions, and carefully listening to the coaches’ guidance in order to achieve success. The Minister said that if one acts in this manner, success would be very close at hand.
The Minister noted that shooting is also a developing sport and that there are skilled athletes in the Maldives. He expressed hope that this sport would also bring many international accolades to the Maldives.
“I believe this sport will, God willing, bring proud achievements to our nation in the near future. God willing, that success will come to us very soon,” the Minister said.
The Minister thanked all parties who have been providing support and assistance in promoting shooting. He especially acknowledged and thanked the parents for the sacrifices they are making for their children. The Second Shooting Championship, which was open to the public, was held from September 1 to 30. A total of 370 athletes from both genders competed in this tournament. As shooting is now a developing sport, the Shooting Association of Maldives has been running programs to nurture young athletes in this sport. They have been identifying students interested in shooting through schools and training them in this sport.
Looking at the international achievements of the Maldives in shooting, it’s worth noting the success at the Asian Rifle and Pistol Cup finals held in Bangkok, Thailand, in February this year. The Maldives national shooting team competed and achieved success, surpassing athletes from strong Asian countries. In particular, Mariyam Eeshal Misbah, who competed in the Junior Individual category and won a silver medal, has secured her place in the history of Maldivian shooting.
