Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation, Abdulla Rafiu, has facilitated arrangements for Palestine’s Under-17 national football team to camp in the Maldives to train for the AFC Under-17 Asian Cup qualifiers.
The Palestinian Football Federation requested the Maldives for the team to camp in the Maldives from 8 to 19 November, as the team is unable to train on home soil due to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
On Tuesday, Minister Rafiu met with officials from the Football Association of Maldives (FAM), including FAM President Ahmed Thoriq and Secretary General Zareer. During the meeting, it was decided that the Maldives would facilitate the Palestinian Football Federation’s request, and arrangements were discussed.
The decision to host the Palestinian team was taken to further strengthen relations between Palestine and the Maldives, and provide support in sports development, the Sports Ministry said. During their stay, the team will play two friendly matches with the Maldives’ Under-17 team. Both teams are preparing for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.