Maldives welcomes Palestinian U-17 team for AFC Asian Cup training camp

The Palestinian Youth Team, which arrived in the Maldives for a training camp in preparation for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers, was welcomed today.

The Palestinian team arrived at the Maldives airport's VIP Lounge, where they were greeted by Minister of Sports Abdulla Rafiu and Ahmed Thoriq, President of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM). This welcoming gesture is atypical; as such receptions are generally reserved for teams returning from successful tournaments.

The Maldivian government is to finance all expenses for the Palestinian team's nine-day training camp, while the FAM will assist with the logistical aspects of the camp.

During the camp, the Palestinian team is scheduled to play two friendly matches against the Maldives U-17 National Team:

·         First Match: Thursday night (next week)

·         Second Match: Saturday night (next week)

The FAM announced that public entry to the stadium for both matches will be free of charge.

However, to provide financial assistance to the Palestinian team, the FAM has decided to sell souvenir tickets in two categories: Platinum and Gold.

Platinum Category: MVR 1,000 per ticket. This category, limited to 50 tickets, grants access to the Rostrum and VIP areas.

Gold Category: MVR 500 per ticket. This category, limited to 200 tickets, provides seating in the stand areas adjacent to the Rostrum.

In a statement, the FAM said: "The proceeds from the tickets sold in this manner will be presented as a gift to the Palestinian football team."

Palestine is in Group D of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers, with matches scheduled to be played in India from the 22nd to the 30th of this month. Their group opponents are India, Iran, Chinese Taipei, and Lebanon.

Maldives will play their qualifying matches in Thailand. Their group consists of Thailand, Turkmenistan, and Kuwait.