President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said winning gold medals at large international sporting events does not require teams to belong to a large country, but rather careful planning and rigorous training.
Speaking at a gathering held to meet the medalists from the Maldivian contingent who took part in this year's South Asian Games (SAG), President Solih said while it is often assumed only larger nations can win the gold medals, local athletes at SAG proved a small nation like Maldives can also achieve such feats. He remarked proper training and discipline are keys to success in international events and called local athletes to be determined to achieve success.
President Solih said sporting events like these markets the country and unites the people, adding it is one of the primary reasons for government's support and funding on sports. He reiterated the administration's resolve to support and develop sports sector.
The president also highlighted the remarkable achievement of female athletes in this year’s games. While sprinter Hassan Saaid won two medals, the rest of the medals were won by women’s teams. During SAG 2019, the Maldivian women's table tennis team, football team and basketball team won bronze medals in their respective events.