President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has appealed to the Maldivian athletes participating in the upcoming Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) to uphold their best behaviour while attending the games to be held in Mauritius. The president also stated that every success, every win in the games will reflect the good name on the country, during a special ceremony held this evening at the President's Office to meet the Maldivian athletes who will represent our country in the upcoming IOIG.
Addressing the athletes, the president made a few remarks acknowledging the immense contribution that sport can have on youth development and emphasised that providing avenues for Maldivian athletes to reach their full potential is a high priority of this administration. Continuing his remarks, the president expounded on the Maldives' historical linkages with the IOIG, reminding those present that the first ever gold medal that the country won at an international tournament was 40 years ago at the first ever IOIG. Maldives is also one of the founding members of the IOIG.
The president expressed his firm optimism that the athletes present will recognise the importance these games have to Maldives, will represent the country to the best of their abilities and demonstrate the high quality of sportsmanship that we have come to expect of the fine sportsmen and sportswomen. The president further remarked it is his sincere hope the next IOIG event which is scheduled to take place in 2023 will be held in Maldives, which would be a great source of pride to the country, and would provide us with the opportunity to showcase our athletes' competitive spirit and skill to the whole world on the home soil. He expressed work is already underway to bring this vision to fruition and that his administration will provide the resources and opportunities for local athletes to get ready within the four-year interval.
Maldives have also been availing international assistance in this regard such as by sending the national volleyball team to Serbia to train under the tutelage of the country's most accomplished coaches and experts. The president thanked the Serbian government for their generous assistance.
During the ceremony, Ahmed Zabir was announced as the flag bearer for Maldives. The president presented the flag which will be flown during the games to Zabir. The contingent also presented the IOIG kit to the president during the ceremony.
Maldives will participate in 14 sporting events at this year's games.