Veteran local diver Hussain Rasheed, popularly known as Sendi, was inducted into the '2019 International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame' (ISDHF) on Friday.
ISDHF recognised Sendi's "indisputable" contributions to the diving sector and marine environment protection in Maldives, highlighting that his efforts had also earned him both the Maldives Tourism Award and Presidential Award.
The popular diver declared in a social media post that he was honoured to be inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.
"I'm thankful to Allah and everyone who supported throughout my career...", he said.
With a longstanding career spanning 37 years, Sendi was the first PADI Instructor Trainer in the Maldives. Hailing from capital Male', Sendi started diving in 1981 and became a PADI Instructor in 1993. He became a PADI-certified Course Director in 2000, and to date has certified over 1,600 divers.
He is also a founding member of the Divers Association of Maldives (DAM), and his company Dive Oceanus operates five PADI Dive Centres across four atolls.
Sendi is renowned for his work in underwater photography and as an advocate against the effects of climate change on the fragile marine ecosystems of Maldives. He rose to international fame when he organised an underwater Cabinet Meeting for former President Mohamed Nasheed, to bring the world's attention to the threat of global warming.
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