President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has appealed to the Maldivian athletes participating in the upcoming Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) to uphold their best behaviour while attending the games to be held in Mauritius. The President also stated that every success, every win in the games will reflect the good name on the country, during a special ceremony held this evening at the President’s Office to meet the Maldivian athletes who will represent our country in the upcoming IOIG.
Addressing the athletes, the President made a few remarks acknowledging the immense contribution that sport can have on youth development and emphasized that providing avenues for Maldivian athletes to reach their full potential is a high priority of this administration.
Continuing his remarks, the President expounded on the Maldives’ historical linkages with the IOIG, reminding those present that the first ever medal that our country won at an international tournament was 40 years ago at the first ever IOIG. The Maldives is also one of the founding members of the IOIG. The President expressed his firm optimism that the athletes present will recognize the importance these games have to the Maldives, will represent our country to the best of their abilities and demonstrate the high quality of sportsmanship that we have come to expect of our fine sportsmen and sportswomen.
It is his sincere hope, the President further remarked, that the next IOIG event which is scheduled to take place in 2023 will be held in the Maldives, which would be a great source of pride to our country, and would provide us with the opportunity to showcase our athletes’ competitive spirit and skill to the whole world on our home soil. He expressed that work is already underway to bring this vision to fruition and that his administration will provide the resources and opportunities for local athletes to get ready within the four-year interval. We have also been availing international assistance in this regard such as by sending many of our volleyball players to Serbia to train under the tutelage of the country’s most accomplished coaches and experts. The President thanked the Serbian government for their generous assistance, which made this possible.
During this ceremony, the flag bearer for the Maldives was also announced, the chosen athlete being Mr Ahmed Zabir. The President presented the flag which will be flown during the games to Mr Zabir. The contingent also presented the IOIG kit to the President during the ceremony.
The Maldives will participate in 14 sporting events at this year's games. The President, the government and the citizens of the Maldives wish them all the best and are certain that our athletes will once again do us proud.
