President Mohamed Nasheed presented awards to gold medal winners in international sports events. The award ceremony was held last evening at Dharubaaruge.
The main objective of the National Sports Award is to give national recognition to winners at various international sports competitions. This is the first time the award is introduced.
At the function, the President also spoke on the importance of sports in forming national identity. He said competitive sports among youths contributed to building a sense of identity as a nation. The government, he continued, attached a high priority to increase sports opportunities and allocate sufficient funds for sports. He added the government had planned to spend 600 million Rufiyaa on sports, between 2012 and 2013.
