Famous athletics coach Naseer Ismail has expressed dissatisfaction as athletics training sessions would experience obstacles due to the Male' running track and the Hulhumale' running track being used for the interschool football tournament and cricket tournament.

The ongoing U17 interschool football tournament under the name Maldives Juniors Championship will be held from tomorrow until 17th May at the Hulhumale' Running Track. The U16 cricket tournament will begin on Sunday, 26th April and end on Saturday, 2nd May and will be held at the Male' Ekuveni Running Track.

Naseer stated that it saddens him to see that the only two places where training sessions for runners can be held in the Male' region cannot be used by them.

"We have been put out onto the street," said Naseer in a dissatisfied tone.

"We should run on the streets or on the rocks or sand just like we did in the 1990s. We would have to step into the ocean if we want to relieve ourselves."

The training being done by many Maldivian running clubs and academies will experience difficulties due to this. Naseer said that Maldivian runners at the national level train with either private coaches or an academy or a club, with the running track not being available to national athletes being detrimental.

"National team runners will undergo training with the national team when a tournament is around the corner. Before that, all runners are at an academy or at a club, which is cause for sadness for all."

He went on to say that he does not blame any sport in this matter and that the issue lies with the sports administrations and those in management.

"Even I believe that football and cricket tournaments need to be held. The issue is that there are no facilities for those sports. Venues dedicated to other sports need to be used."

Naseer said that foreign aid was acquired in constructing a football stadium and a cricket stadium at Hulhumale', but no progress has been made. He also said that if those projects had moved forward, the current issues would not happen.

"There is no plan. That is the problem."