Maldives has officially been selected to host the 11th edition of the Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG), to be held in 2023.

During the IOIG council vote, Maldives led the votes with four votes in its favor while Comoros and Madagascar who also presented their bids, followed behind with just one vote each.

Maldives Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof officially presented the bid to host the IOIG 2023 on 20 July.

Having presented the bid, Mahloof had said that IOIG is the first international event that Maldives competed in, and emphasized that the games “are connected the people’s hearts” and that it has not missed a single edition of the games, since its beginning.

Mahloof further said that the opportunity brings immense joy to the country’s sports community.

Hosting the games in Maldives is highly prioritized by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, with the First Couple having observed several matches of the IOIG 2019 held in Mauritius from 7 July onward.

Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid, as the president’s special envoy had led a high-level delegation to four countries, seeking support for Maldives’ bid to host IOIG 2023. Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros assured its support to the South Asian nation as well.

Following the win, Solih had taken to twitter, stating that it is fitting that Maldives return the hospitality extended by fellow island nations as it has participated in all 10 editions of the IOIG so far.

In an earlier tweet, Solih said that IOIG 2019 has been a resounding success for Maldivians.