Ekuveni Track evokes memories of late Zahir Naseer: pres.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih evoked memories of the Late Zahir Naseer, revered as the father of sports in the Maldives, in remembrance at the inauguration of the 'Ekuveni' synthetic running track at an event held on Saturday.

President Solih made the remarks while speaking at the inauguration event held in the 'Ekuveni' track area, with state dignitaries, athletes, and members of the public in attendance.

The President said that all citizens remember the father of sports in the Maldives, Zahir Naseer, whenever efforts are being made to advance the sports sector in the Maldives.

Referring to the new, state-of-the-art synthetic running track developed at 'Ekuveni', President Solih said that this was not how the track had looked in the past when it was just a plot of coarse land.

President Solih remarked that some time ago, people could see Zahir Naseer at the track during the evenings, interacting with volleyballers, cricketers, national athletes, organizing traditional 'Mandi' and 'Bashi' tournaments at the track for many years.

Referring to the current progress of sports in the Maldives, President Solih declared that it was only made possible by the leadership and hard work of the late Zahir Naseer, and that his name would live on forever as a paragon for his contributions to the sports sector.

Zahir Naseer was the man that led the Maldives to participate in the country’s first international Olympic Event, and had served as President of the Maldives Olympic Committee for almost 30 years.

He also represented the Maldives as the President of the Asian Olympic Federation and the Treasurer of the International Carom Federation. He was also a member of the Olympic Council’s Finance Committee.

Zahir Naseer was also presented with the National Award for Recognition and the National Award of Honor for Exceptional Contributions to the Development of Sports in the Maldives, along with the Honorary Shield for Invaluable Service to the Government for having engaged in over 50 years of service to the nation.

On 26th July 2011, Zahir Naseer was conferred the Order of Distinguished Rule of Izzuddeen.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Ahmed Mahloof also spoke at Saturday night's gathering, which closed off with events and showcases from athletes and enthusiasts gathered to celebrate the track's inauguration.

Prior to the development of the synthetic running track, Malé 'Ekuveni' track was used as a football pitch by second and third division teams to play matches and host events.

In addition to this, members of the public also used the track as a space for running, jogging, exercise and other athletic pursuits, during which they faced many difficulties as the uneven ground is prone to flooding after rain.

The new synthetic Running track is designed to increase convenience for those who use it as an exercise space, and another such running track has been developed in Hulhumalé, which is being used by the National Athletics Team as a practice ground and venue for competitive events.