China's Fujian Province has donated a significant amount of sports equipment to the Maldives.
The handover ceremony took place at Henveiru Boalhage on Wednesday, with Ambassador of China to the Maldives, Kong Xianhua, presenting the donation on behalf of Fujian Province. The items were received by the Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation, Abdulla Rafiu, on behalf of the Maldives.
The sports equipment donated by Fujian Province included footballs, bags, caps, tracksuits, socks and men’s shorts and t-shirts.
At the ceremony, the Sports Minister expressed gratitude to Fujian Province for its continued support of Maldives sports. The assistance reflects the close relationship between China and the Maldives, he said, adding that he hoped that the partnership would continue to grow stronger in the future.
Earlier this year, in February, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Maldives and the Sports Bureau of Fujian Province. The agreement covers joint training programmes, assistance in the development of players, teams and clubs, as well as people-building initiatives in sports-related fields. These include training for medical officials, coaches, referees and umpires, as well as awareness on prohibited substances in sports. The MoU also aims to provide local players and teams with more opportunities to compete internationally.
So far this year, Fujian Province has donated sports equipment to Maldives on two occasions. These include athletics, table tennis and football equipment. China has also provided assistance to train volleyball coaches and basketball ball coaches and players, and has assisted in capacity-building in the field of sports medicine.