The Ekuveni Synthetic Track inaugurated today

16 January 2021

The Ekuveni Synthetic Track, developed with the financial assistance of the Government of India, was inaugurated today.   The track was inaugurated by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at a special ceremony held today, and was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof, High Commissioner of India Sanjay Sudhir, and many other senior officials from the Government.   A grant was allocated for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment from the grant assistance provided by the Government of India to develop the Ekuveni Synthetic Track to encourage the citizens of Maldives to lead an active and healthy life and also provide an improved training facility for aspiring athletes.   Speaking at the Ceremony, President Solih highlighted the importance his administration placed on cultivating healthy lifestyles, as well as on providing high quality infrastructure for the sports community to train and use. Other speakers at the ceremony also noted the significance of the upgrading project, and the opportunities that this facility would open for professional athletes as well as the community.

In his remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted that the inauguration of the Ekuveni Synthetic Track marks a glorious step into the future, supporting the Government’s pledge to improve access to fitness and exercise to its citizens. Moreover, the Minister stated that this project has the potential to revitalise the closeness of local communities, especially at a time when adopting a healthy lifestyle has become the widely accepted norm.   Furthermore, the Minister stated that this project symbolises the Maldivian Government’s firm commitment to strengthening access to education to students throughout the Maldives.   The financial support was provided from the grant assistance of USD 6.9 million (MVR 106 million) granted to the Government of Maldives by the Government of India during the visit of the Minister of External Affairs of India in March 2019. The aim of the grant assistance is to conduct socio-economic development projects across the country which are of high impact. The projects under this grant will be managed by local authorities. ENDS