Minister Hassan Sobir, Mr. Mohamed Salih, Mr. Waheed Deen, Mr. Bernhard Ritzer, Mr. Matt Wilson, Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Let me first of all thank Mr. Ritzer and Mr. Salih for presenting me with two very lovely commemorative plaques. I really appreciate your thoughtful gesture.
I would also like to thank Mr. Salih, the management and staff of this splendid resort, for the warm welcome that they have extended to me. I am also grateful to Olhuveli Beach and Spa Resort, who had organised the traditional welcome dance that I was treated to on my way here, and for presenting me with the ‘koadi’.
Let me also congratulate the young artistes of Theatre Mirage for their entertaining performance, depicting some of the traditional sights and sounds of the Maldives.
Ladies and gentlemen:
It is a great pleasure to be here today in these beautiful surroundings and in the company of so many celebrities of sun and surf. The outdoors, particularly the sun, the sand, and the surf, belong not only to lovers of nature, but also to men and women of tremendous spirit and adventure.
As you know, this is the fourth occasion that the O’Neill Deep Blue Open is being held in the Maldives. It is a mark of the success of the competition that it is now recognised as a premier qualifying event to the World Championship Tour. I congratulate all those who have contributed to that achievement.
The seas play a very big role in the life of a Maldivian. Indeed, the sea is our friend, providing us food, and enabling us to travel to make friendships and forge partnerships. It is also opening up for all of us new frontiers of excitement and enterprise.
The O’Neill Deep Blue Open has no doubt contributed to the recent phenomenal growth of surfing in the Maldives. Many of our youngsters are now taking up surfing as their choice of sport and recreation. The sport has grown here in a very short space of time. In a country such as ours, I am sure that surfing has a very good future.
Since its inception three years ago, this annual event has drawn to our shores some of the best surfers in the world, including many of the stars of the World Championship Tour. This competition is taking place at a place regarded by many as one of the most consistent, high performance wave locations in the world. I understand that four aspiring surfers from the Maldives are also competing in this year’s event.
Ladies and gentlemen:
These are good times for tourism in the Maldives. Last year, the country reached the proud milestone of half a million tourist arrivals in a calendar year. Right now, the industry is embarked on a new phase of development which will take tourism to all the atolls of the archipelago. We are confident that this would usher in a new era of economic opportunity that would propel the atolls into further economic progress.
In just over three decades, there is much that tourism has achieved in the Maldives. Today, the country enjoys the reputation of being among the most sought after luxury destinations in the world. The secret of this success has been the dedication of all those engaged in tourism, and the commitment of the entire nation to the march of progress. The excellent partnership between the Government and the private sector has played a crucial role in that process. The O’Neill Deep Blue Open is in itself an example of that partnership.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Hassan Sobir, and the senior officials and staff of the Ministry and the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board, for their tireless efforts in promoting the Maldives as a top tourist destination in the world.
Ladies and gentlemen:
The Maldives Surfing Association, the co-organisers of this event, is yet another feather in the cap of a very popular local figure. Apart from being a highly successful tourism entrepreneur, the Association’s Chairman, Mr. Waheed Deen is an eminent patron of many social causes and community activities. His initiatives in a diversity of fields and issues are fine examples of selflessness and dedication. Mr. Deen is indeed the ‘quiet philanthropist’!
I would also like to congratulate Mr. Mohamed Salih, the Chairman of Altaf Enterprises, and the management and staff of Lhohifushi, for their hard work in staging this event on this beautiful island.
To conclude, I wish all the participants an exciting competition and an enjoyable stay in the Maldives. As is evident from the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board’s involvement in holding this annual event, the Government is committed to promoting surfing in the Maldives.
It is my sincere hope that the O’Neill Deep Blue Open will grow in stature year after year, and that other international sports tournaments will follow their lead into our island paradise.
Thank you.