Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has said deliberations have begun with government companies on the repayment of Football Association of Maldives (FAM)'s debts.
Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has said deliberations have begun with government companies on the repayment of Football Association of Maldives (FAM)'s debts.
Attending FAM's Extraordinary Congress as a Chief Guest, Minister Rafiu expressed confidence that these deliberations would present positive ways forward for the association.
FAM's debt currently stands at over MVR 150 million. The government companies that FAM is in debt to are Maldivian, STO and HDC.
FAM owes to Maldives MVR 7.4 million for tickets issued previously.
The debt to STO is at MVR 1.5 million. This is the reimbursement of sponsorship funds which were issued by STO to hold Dhivehi League in home and away structure during the tenure of former FAM President Bassam Adeel Jaleel. The tournament was never held.
The debt owed to HDC is the rent for the land leased to FAM for the construction of a football school. Four years since the lease, FAM has failed to pay any rent. HDC has so issued notice to vacate the land.
Rafiu asserted that from the beginning, this administration had strived to alleviate the situation faced by FAM. He said that office space had been provided when the FAM offices were found to be in disrepair when the Normalization Committee had first commenced work. In addition to this, Rafiu said that arrangements had been made so as to allow Ministry staff to be utilized in organizing FAM and football activities.
Rafiu highlighted that despite the situation FAM is in, the ministry had ensured to provide tickets and send teams to play in foreign tournaments.
Rafiu