Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Development, Ahmed Mahloof, has stated that it is a challenge at present to compete with neighbouring countries at football, and that it will take 6 years to see the results of the Administration's efforts to develop the sport.

Answering questions by Parliament Members regarding the Ministry's efforts to develop football, Minister Mahloof on Wednesday stated that there is nothing the Minister can do personally about the losses faced by the National Football Team. He added that the Ministry has shared concerns with Football Association of Maldives (FAM)'s president, Bassam.

"The truth is that there are countries like India, Nepal, and Bangladesh in this region who have millions of people in population and invest millions on developing the sport. The results are evident now. So I believe that it will be a challenge for Maldives to compete against countries in this region in the neat future," Mahloof said.

He added that football as a sport was almost non-existent in many islands when the current government took office. As such, Mahloof said the government has been prioritising developing facilities for the sports in the islands.

He further added that the government is working on building bigger stadiums in the islands and that the government efforts will show positive results in 6 years.