The Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Fitness Abdulla Rafiu stated last night that the fitness levels of Maldivian athletes are at concerning levels and that a solution will be found.

During Public Service Media's (PSM) "Ahaa" forum, meant for the public to pose questions to ministers, Minister Rafiu shared his concerns regarding athlete fitness.

Rafiu, who worked as a Sports Physician before being the minister, said the issue stems from a lack of appropriate sports resources in Maldives.

"Our athletes who go to make a beautiful name for Maldives are highly prepared for tournaments. However, due to a lack of resources when the tournament ends, they are unable to maintain their fitness until the next tournament arrives. And because of that, fitness levels drop very quickly before the next tournament," said the minister.

During overseas tournaments and matches, athletes across various sports are able to make use of the training camps during the preparation stage, with the results being clear from this. An example of this is the national futsal team that won the SAFF Futsal Championship in January 2026.

As the championship drew close, the national futsal team was given the opportunity to undergo a training camp in China due to a lack of futsal resources in Maldives.

The minister went on to say the facilitation of sports resources will be developed in such a way that top-tier resources can be used in Maldives after international tournaments end such as training and fitness programs.

In addition to the Male' region, the indoor sports complexes that will be newly built in various other regions will include an indoor gym and fitness centers, said Rafiu.

"Athlete fitness levels need to be maintained at the level they were at. These complexes will hopefully serve as a solution to the issue," the minister said.

The fitness centers to be constructed at Male' and other islands will be built in such a way that the public will have access to them as well, said the minister.