Govt won't interfere in sports associations' management, president says
President Muizzu said the government would focus on ensuring that relevant institutions act according to the law.
President Mohamed Muizzu said on Monday that the government will not intervene in the internal management of sports associations in the Maldives.
He made the remarks at a ceremony held at the Presidential Office to mark the approval of amendments to the Sports Act. The statement came in response to a journalist’s question referencing ongoing issues involving the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) and the Badminton Association of Maldives (BAM).
FAM was recently placed under temporary management by FIFA through a Normalisation Committee following allegations of financial mismanagement involving its former leadership. Separately, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) suspended BAM due to actions by the Commissioner of Sports and the Maldives Olympic Committee.
When asked how the revised Sports Act would address such cases, President Muizzu said the government would not be involved in the direct administration of any sports association, including FAM and BAM.
“The government will not influence the direct management of any association,” he said.
President Muizzu said the government would focus on ensuring that relevant institutions act according to the law.
He added that the government would implement a national sports policy and leave regulatory oversight to international governing bodies such as FIFA and the BWF.
The President said the amended Sports Act introduces measures aimed at improving transparency and governance in the management of sports bodies in the Maldives.
