Maziya Sports and Recreation Club has resumed practices on Saturday.

As such, players underwent fitness tests on Saturday evening.

On October 1, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) gave first division clubs the green light to resume practices for the new football season from Thursday onward.

Football Association of Maldives (FAM)’s General Secretary Hussain Jawaz told RaajjeMV that guidelines to be followed during practice sessions, under the “new normal” were finalized during a meeting with the public health authority on Thursday where Director General of Public Health, Maimoona Aboobakuru, FAM officials and State Minister of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Assad Ali, officials from the Technical Advisory Group and Maldives Police Service (MPS) participated.

Eight teams under the first division have been allowed to conduct practices from Thursday onward, keeping in mind to adhere to the guidelines in place. Although HPA has granted approval to conduct practice sessions before the new season kicks off, members of the general public and others will not be allowed to conduct practice sessions.

Maziya has resumed practices under the instructions of coach Mohamed Nizam at a time the team had also held practice sessions during August, under a special permit given by HPA. The practice sessions were halted after the AFC Cup was cancelled.

FAM had engaged in discussions with the Maldives Police Service (MPS) regarding preparations for the upcoming football season. FAM has been working to ensure the football season kicks off within December 2020. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the last season was cancelled halfway into the FA Cup.

Although work is underway to commence the upcoming football season in December, spokesperson of the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) Dr. Nazla Rafeeq earlier revealed that sports events and activities will be given the approval to resume as part of the easing of measures in place, if authorities observe a significant plunge in daily case counts.