Asian Athletics Federation honours Tholal with Leadership Award

Asian Athletics Association has presented an honorary leadership award to Maldives’ Sports Commissioner, Mohamed Tholal, in recognition of his contributions to the development of athletics.

Tholal received the award during the Asian Athletics Association Congress held on Saturday in Gumi, South Korea.

Athletics Association of Maldives announced the recognition, stating that Tholal’s efforts had earned high praise from the Asian Athletics community.

Prior to his appointment as Sports Commissioner in November 2023, Tholal served three terms as President of the Athletics Association of Maldives. His tenure is widely regarded as the most successful period in the country’s athletics history.

Under his leadership, Maldives secured its first-ever gold medals in regional competitions. Sprinter Hassan Saeed clinched the 100 meter gold at the 2015 Indian Ocean Island Games in Réunion during Tholal’s first term. Later, in December 2019, Saeed made history again by winning the country's first gold at the South Asian Games in Nepal.

Tholal also held an executive position with World Athletics and served as Vice-President of the Maldives Olympic Committee prior to becoming Sports Commissioner.