The Volleyball Association of Maldives (VAM) has cancelled the final match for zone-five of its ongoing inter-resort volleyball competition.

The final match, to be played between Anantara Kihavah and Soneva, was cancelled after several of VAM’s board members and officials were barred from stepping on Soneva Fushi, in Baa Atoll.

The board members and officials, who arrived at the airport in Dharavandhoo island, are currently in Anantara. The board members barred from Soneva are VAM’s acting General-Secretary Mohamed Sharaf, Disciplinary Committee Chairman Ali Latheef, and officials Jamshaad Jaufar, Ahmed Miyan, and Naseem Ali.

VAM has stated that the final match will only be conducted in the presence of its full board of directors and the aforesaid officials.

RaajjeMV understands that Soneva was instructed to restrict said officials from entering by their team’s coach, Ibrahim ‘Satho’ Rasheed. Satho reportedly has a strained history with General-Secretary Sharaf, who is the coach for Anantara’s team.

Satho said on Tuesday that he has not been informed of the match’s cancellation, and that reports of this are highly concerting.

“It would present great difficulties to our players if the match is to be cancelled” Satho said.

Satho has had a checkered past with officials of VAM, having publicly made derogatory statements against several of them. Satho has since apologized for this statement, and been warned to refrain from making such statements in the future.