Government proposes scrapping of Sports Corporation, and YesTV

The government has proposed amendments to the Sports Act to abolish the Maldives Sports Corporation and YesTV, which were established during former President Abdulla Yameen's administration.

The Sports Corporation was established at that time to promote sports infrastructure, run a sports channels, plan and implement programmes to improve the capacity of sportspeople, and to provide an avenue for the further development and training of those involved in sporting activities. The corporation is responsible for owning all sports facilities in the Maldives and generating income from their use.

However, the current administration has not given those powers to the corporation. Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community, Ahmed Mahloof, has said that the ministry will lose control once the resources are handed over to the corporation. Mahloof has reiterated that the Maldives Sports Corporation is a useless company and should be dissolved.

Supporting this claim, Hulhumalé MP Ali Niyaz submitted an amendment on behalf of the state to the parliament on Tuesday asking to repeal the article stating the establishment of a sports corporation and channel.

MP Niyaz said the Sports Corporation had failed to generate revenues within the past three years, and the state expenditure on the corporation is not required for the time being.

The amendment was supported by pro-government Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members in the parliamentary debate yesterday. MDP members supporting Speaker Mohamed Nasheed had opposed the amendment.

"YesTV" is a sports channel of the state-owned media company Public Service Media (PSM). The channel that was required to be established under the Sports Act was funded by the state. However, the corporation has the documentation for the channel. Therefore, the channel will be legally required to be established by the Sports Corporation under the Sports Act. With the repeal of the Article, the channel is expected to be abolished.

Sports Corporation Chairman Hussain Mohamed told Mihaaru news that he had spoken to the PSM board about running the channel in collaboration with the corporation but that no agreement could be reached.

"We asked PSM to do the technical work with our say in the content, but some members of the PSM board could not come to an agreement," the former General Secretary of the Volleyball Association said.