The Youth Awards have been conferred to 10 recipients in different fields.
The awards were presented by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at the official function held at the Maldives Centre for Social Education (MCSE) to mark National Youth Day. The awards were presented in nine categories, alongside a special award presented by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment from the National Youth Volunteer Programme.
At the function, President Solih presented awards to Mohamed Jailam in the field of business and economy, Neesha Haleem in the field of sports, Firasha Mohamed in the field of humanitarian work, Abdulla Shahuneez in the field of empowering youth, Ali Ameer in the field of Dhivehi language and culture, Abdulla Shafeeu in the field of art, Afir Mohamed in the field of counter-narcotics, Ali Rasheed in the field of agriculture, and Ibrahim Shareef in the field of vocational training. Additionally, the special award from the youth ministry under the National Youth Volunteer Programme was received by Ahmed Ahnaf Firaq
The aim of the awards was to recognize the work done by youths in different fields, to make the youth responsible and strong individuals working for the development of the country and to make them aware of the opportunities available to them in various fields. The nominations for the awards were open in 18 categories although the awards were presented in nine categories.
President Solih declared October 22 as National Youth Day in 2019. The occasion has been celebrated annually ever since.