The South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) has awarded the hosting rights of the SAFF U20 Championship to the Maldives, signalling a renewed confidence in the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) and the country’s capacity to stage regional football events. The tournament is scheduled to be held from 22 March to 3 April next year, and will be the first international football tournament hosted in the Maldives since the SAFF Championship in October 2021, when the Maldives National Football Team faced regional giants such as India on home soil.
For the past four years, the Maldives had fallen out of favour with SAFF following an unresolved issue related to outstanding payments from the 2021 SAFF Championship. Prize money and allowances amounting to USD 75,000 (approximately MVR 1.16 million), owed to match officials and referees, remained unpaid and were repeatedly highlighted by delegates from other member nations during a SAFF Congress. During this period, SAFF chose to allocate age-group tournaments to other countries in the region, even when the Maldives formally expressed interest in hosting, an outcome widely viewed as being directly linked to the pending dues.
FAM has since worked systematically to restore that confidence. The association settled the outstanding debt last month and embarked on diplomatic engagement with SAFF leadership. General Secretary of FAM, Ahmed Zareer, noted that the relationship between FAM and SAFF has been significantly strengthened over the past four months. He explained that in October, FAM President Ahmed Thoriq held extensive discussions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with SAFF Secretary General Purushottam Kattel, describing the outcome of those talks as very positive and instrumental in rebuilding trust. These efforts have culminated in SAFF’s decision to bring a major youth competition back to Maldivian shores.
In a statement, FAM described the hosting decision as a historical moment for Maldivian football, underscoring that this will be the first SAFF youth tournament ever hosted by the Maldives. The association emphasized that the decision demonstrates the collective trust of SAFF member nations in the Maldives and validates the country’s capabilities to successfully organize an international tournament. FAM further highlighted that the SAFF U20 Championship will create new avenues for young players in the Maldives and the wider region, offering them valuable exposure, competitive experience, and a professional environment in which to showcase their talent.
The tournament will also be the first age-group international event hosted in the Maldives in six years, the last being the UEFA Assist U16 Tournament held in Addu City in 2019. With the return of youth football to the country, the event is expected to generate renewed interest in the domestic football scene, strengthen grassroots development, and bring measurable benefits to local stakeholders, from stadium operations and event management to hospitality and tourism-related services. FAM has pledged that the entire football community in the Maldives will work together to ensure the SAFF U20 Championship is organized with robust arrangements and high standards of quality, positioning the Maldives as a reliable and attractive destination for future regional sporting events.
advertisment
advertisment
