Three football teams given green light to begin training

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has given three football teams to begin training sessions, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

HPA gave the green light to begin operations for Maziya Sports and Recreation Club and TC Sports Club competing in the AFC Cup, as well as the National Football Team.

The approval was granted for all three teams on Tuesday.

This comes at a time the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) specifically instructed sports teams to halt events and training sessions due to the alarming increase in Covid-19 cases being reported in the Greater Malé Region.

Due to HEOC recommendations, the National Football Team had also halted training sessions.

Earlier, Maziya had requested for arrangements to begin training at the earliest as players are preparing to compete in the AFC Cup group stage for the South Asian zone, to begin in Malé during October.

According to HPA, the training sessions are required to be conducted in accordance with the set guidelines by the Football Association of Maldives (FAM).

All of the matches in the AFC Cup group stage for South Asia will be held from October 23 – November 4 and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment had earlier met with HPA officials along with FAM, to discuss safety guidelines to be followed throughout the group stage.

Maziya and TC had participated in the first group stage match on March 12 in Bangladesh. TC lost to Bashundhara Kings 5-1 during the match and Maziya drew with Chennai City FC in India, 2-2.

Although the National Football Team has also been given the green light to begin training, the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup’s Joint Qualifying round have been pushed back to 2021, they were scheduled to begin during October and November this year.

RaajjeMV understands that the national team is preparing for friendly matches against the United Arab Emirates, in the middle-eastern country as well as Malé.