President Mohamed Nasheed this afternoon met with Manager of English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers, Mr Sam Allardyce.

During the meeting, Mr Allardyce said Blackburn Rovers were intending to give two Maldivian football players the opportunity to train with the club.

Speaking at the meeting, President Nasheed said football was the most popular sport in the Maldives. He also thanked Mr Allardyce and Blackburn Rovers for their initiative and said this would go a long way in further developing the sport in the Maldives.

Mr Allardyce was also accompanied by Commercial Manager of Blackburn Rovers, Mr Ken Beamish.

Special Envoy of the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki and the President’s Political Affairs Advisor Hassan Afeef also attended the meeting.