Football legend Ali Umar has been appointed as the deputy secretary general of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM).

RaajjeMV understands that he was appointed last week, on April 21.

The former national team player had previously served as the Sports Commissioner; he was appointed by the previous administration in March 2018 and removed by a year later by the current administration

Accepting the government’s decision, Umar had reiterated his belief that the sport can be “taken to a new level” with help of the government, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

He took part in the SAFF’s Ordinary Congress 2019, as FAM’s deputy secretary-general.

Umar played for the national team for 14 years, starting from 1999.

While he retired in 2013, he has continued efforts to further popularize the sport in the country.