Coaches of the First Division teams of the Maldives have expressed concern that the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has failed to provide a clear reason to halt play for the Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League (DDPL), despite matches being conducted as per HPA guidelines under a special permit.
The DDPL had been halted as the number of Covid-19 cases being reported in the Maldives' capital Male', where the matches were being conducted at the national stadium. A week has passed since the league was suspended under a blanker ban on sports and sports-related activities issued by the HPA in order to curb the spread of the virus, presenting a uniquely difficult challenge for coaches of the DDPL teams.
Coaches of all the First Division teams in the Maldives held a joint press conference in Male' City's Mazada Cafe' on Thursday to express concerns as to the sudden and unexplained cessation of the league.
Speaking at the conference, Club Eagles coach Mohamed Shaazlee (Shaz) explained that they could not understand why the HPA had issued a sudden cessation for the DDPL despite practices and matches being conducted under the health and safety guidelines as presented by health authorities. He added that the health authority had not been able to provide a clear reason for why the DDPL was suspended, despite the league having been inititated under a special permit from HPA back in December last year.
United Victory (UV) Coach Ihsan Abdul Ghani (Saanthi) went on to add that their biggest concern following the sudden suspension of the DDPL was because authorities had not been able to provide a specific date for when play could be resumed. He highlighted that the practices and matches of the DDPL were being conducted under the guidance of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) in strict accordance to the guidelines provided by HPA, and said that it was important for play to resume for the league even under stricter health and safety regulations.
Ismail Mahfooz (Inma), coach for Ga Grande Sports Club noted that the DDPL had first been initiated by the FAM with strong emphasis on the health and safety regulations presented under the special permit from HPA, and that it was unconceivable why the league had been halted despite no Covid-19 clusters having been identified within the football community.
In addition to this, Coach for Super United Sports (SUS) Mohamed Shiyaz (Mohan) emphasized that First Division teams would not be the only ones facing losses due to the sudden suspension of the DDPL. Alluding to the 2021 AFC Cup Qualifiers and Group Stage matches scheduled for March, Mohan said that National Football Team players would also be severely disadvantaged and unprepared for the upcoming international matches with the DDPL halted indefinitely.
The 2020 DDPL was halted on 3 February due to the worsening of the Covid-19 pandemic in the capital city of Male' where matches were being conducted under special guidelines. At the time of the league's suspension, a total of 34 matches had been played in the Dhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League.
