Ministry of Sports yesterday instructed national sports associations to halt sports activities for 20 minutes upon the call to prayer at all sports venues.
In a circular sent to sports associations, the Sports Ministry stated that it has been established as a government policy to suspend all sports activities for 20 minutes at all sports venues upon the call to prayer, and to continue enforcing this measure.
"... Therefore, we request you to suspend all activities carried out under the purview of your association during prayer times as mentioned above and to continue enforcing this," the circular sent by the Sports Ministry to sports associations stated.
The circular noted that this also includes activities carried out by clubs, academies, and private parties.
It was on the first of this month that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated that changes were being brought to suspend sports during prayer times at sports grounds, and that the government is working to arrange prayer facilities at those locations.
Meeting with journalists during the press conference series held consecutively every Monday, the President stated that continuing to play even when the prayer time is expiring while spending time at sports grounds has become a long-standing habit of Maldivians.
Therefore, the President said that since the Maldives is a hundred percent Muslim country, the implementation of practical matters within the community must be based upon that reality.
The President stated that it has been decided to build spaces where prayers can be performed at sports complexes and sports-related buildings constructed by the government, and that this is now in the implementation phase.
Even now, there are no places to perform prayers at Maafannu Stadium and the Sports Ekuveni, where many people go to play sports every day.
According to President Muizzu, the work to establish modern facilities where prayers can be performed at those locations will begin very shortly. The President stated that because of this, it will grant the opportunity to play sports without missing prayer times during sports hours.
He stated that with this change, sports must be suspended for approximately 20 minutes during the time the call to prayer is made.
"For example, there won't be such a place [to pray] at the Sports Ekuveni. Or it won't be at Maafannu Stadium. Therefore, to prevent missing prayer times after being involved in playing sports at those places under the most modern standards, we will bring the changes required to establish ways to go and pray, and to also ensure all sports can be suspended for a specific determined duration starting from the time the call to prayer is made, even if it is 20 minutes," President Muizzu said.
Criticism is targeted on social media from time to time because sports classes proceed at the track area and Maafannu Stadium coinciding with prayer times.
