Construction of an indoor futsal stadium in Hulhumalé is set to begin in April, the President announced in his address to parliament yesterday. He said the lack of an indoor futsal facility has been the biggest challenge to training for international competitions in the Maldives.

The President noted that the Maldivian national futsal team recently had to travel to China to prepare for the SAFF Futsal Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand, where the Maldives went on to win all their matches.

Highlighting the government’s focus on sports and fitness, the President said 33 sports projects have been completed, including 59 projects finished last year that were left incomplete by the previous administration. In total, 92 projects have been completed and handed over, while 879 sports and fitness projects are currently underway nationwide.

He also announced that construction will begin in April on a state-of-the-art multi-storey futsal complex with four additional indoor training pitches, along with a modern multi-storey netball stadium in Hulhumalé.

Additionally, land reclamation for a racing and drifting arena will begin in March. Ongoing projects in Malé include a skate park with inline and roller skating facilities, designed to host regional competitions and scheduled to open by the end of March.

Work on an e-sports centre, arcade sports facilities, a bowling arena, and a children’s indoor activities complex is also set to begin in April.