Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof has revealed the work to commence the development of the new National Stadium is in the final stages.
Responding to a question asked by a Parliamentarian regarding the progress of the development of the national stadium, Minister Mahloof said several works have been done to commence the project, adding that the demolition work will start after the setup of the stadium developed in Hulhumale. The minister said the demolition of the Galolhu Stadium will begin after the Hulhumale track stadium is prepared for matches. He added it will be developed as a state-of-the-art stadium.
Last year, Minister Mahloof shared 3D drawings of the stadium on social media. The new drawings show the venue design to be more spacious than the current stadium. The exterior of the stadium is also designed in green, red, and white colors of the Maldivian national flag. The drawings were well received by the public once the drawings were shared.
The Government of India provided a USD40 million Line of Credit for sports infrastructure development in the Maldives. The stadium was last upgraded in 2014 for the AFC Challenge Cup, which saw the development of a building for the media and VIP rooms.