Minister Rafiu instructs youth football team to aim for success and lose thoughts to simply partake

Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation, Abdulla Rafiu has instructed the Maldivian Youth Football Team to take on the upcoming 6th edition of the SAFF U20 Championship with the aim to succeed and not stay content with simply competing.

Rafiu shared valuable advice with the athletes during his meeting with the U20 Youth Team set to contest in the Championship,

This team who departed for the host country, Nepal last night remains the first team to participate in an international tournament amid this turbulent times surrounding the country's football scene.

Rafiu had convened with officials and footballers of the team last night to offer words of encouragement, beginning his advice with an appeal to prioritize the daily five prayers.

"It is very important to claim all traits of an athlete. That means praying daily. Eating regularly. Maintaining proper hydration. Acting according to instructions." said Rafiu.

He maintained that poor discipline demonstrated by an athlete who represents Maldives at an international scene is not at all acceptable. Athletes are required to display good discipline and integrity at their hotel of accommodation and both inside and outside the pitch, emphasized the former Sports Physician.

"Sports teaches good habits such as this," he noted.

"Discipline must be maintained. Need to enter hotel by the given time. Cannot roam outdoors."

Rafiu, who had undertaken many trips with national teams prior to his appointment as Minister of Sports shared that some athletes and even officials were compelled to leave their teams and return to the country due to instances of bad behavior in the past.

"There are players (and) some managers also who have had to leave the team and return to the country. Because they couldn't maintain the disciplinary standards. That is not something a team would tolerate - no team would tolerate [bad] discipline. If they don't have that discipline, they cannot demonstrate it on the grounds either. Because they couldn't act like how one should typically act in our scene," said Rafiu.

The Maldives is currently observing a difficult time of dire football governance in the country. The Minister had not addressed the derailed state of the country's football during his meeting with the youth team.

Instead, he entreated athletes to strive with resolve to secure success and honor to the country's name.

"To do all you can to progress the Maldives' name in the football industry a little further each day. That is why a Maldivian team is going, as such, [they] must represent the country both inside and outside the pitch," said Rafiu.

"If they can maintain this discipline, if they can play with this discipline, by God's Will, our success is not too far ahead."

"Always keep in mind, that [you] are not simply just going to participate. That [you] are going to win. We are going to compete in a competitive sports. The point of competing is to win the match. The target of this competition is to ensure the win. We will be losing if we don't target this."

Maldives is set to contest among the Group B category alongside Bhutan and India in the SAFF U-20 Championship slated from August 18 to 28 in Kathmandhu, Nepal while Nepal, Bangladesh and India are placed in Group A.

Maldives is matched with Nepal for its first game of the tournament on August 21 while their second match, slated for August 23 will observe a battle with India.

The best two teams of each round will advance to semi finals.