Maldives has asked Madagascar to support its bid to host the 2023 Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG), instead of bidding the same.
Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof revealed this via Twitter on Saturday.
Mahloof, along with Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid as a special envoy of the president, are on a tour of Indian Ocean islands to garner support to host the games.
The high-level delegation first traveled to Seychelles, and are currently in Madagascar.
The ministers met with the special representative of the country's Prime Minister and acting foreign minister, Hajo Andrianarivel on Saturday, as well as the President of Madagascar's Olympic Committee Siteny Thierry Randrianasoloniaiko.
In atweetposted after, Minister Mahloof said that Madagascar also plans to bid to host IOIG 2023.
“As Madagascar has hosted IOIG twice, we have requested them to support [Maldives’] bid,”Minister Mahloof
Also via Twitter, Minister Shahid said that they had presented a letter from President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih-to be delivered to PM Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana- seeking the country’s support for Maldives’ bid to host the games.
The delegation is also expected to travel to Comoros and Mauritius, as part of the tour.
During their visit to Seychelles, President Danny Faure assured his support for Maldives' bid to host the games.
Speaking to the press prior to their departure from Velana International Airport on July 7, Minister Shahid said that the government is working to host the games in order to “develop the country’s sports infrastructure.”
He said that if Maldives wins the bid “it will benefit the youth for years to come.”
A team from IOIG Council was in the Maldives recently, and its President Antonio Ghopal said that Maldives is “ready to host the games.”
