The Maldives is a youthful, sports loving
nation with 60 percent of its population under the age of 35 years. The demand
for sports facilities and infrastructure is very high. With the government’s
focus on decentralization the need for facilities in the Provinces is vital.
Lack of adequate facilities is a major constraint for all National Sporting
Associations in developing their respective sport. This problem is magnified by
the widely dispersed nature of the population. With limited exceptions, facilities
on the whole, are poor .
In the capital island of Male’ there is a FIFA accredited national
football stadium with a capacity of 9000. There is a national athletics field
with a sand track which is also used for cricket. It is not suitable for any
major or international competitions and there is a clear need for a synthetic
track.
There is a national indoor stadium used for basketball, volleyball and
netball and an indoor sports complex where badminton, table tennis and
basketball is played. The facilities are just adequate for practice purposes as
there are no facilities for spectators.