Male' Maldives (August 15): Minister of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation, Abdulla Rafiu, met with the National U20 Football team, who are preparing for the SAFF U20 Championship, and emphasized the importance of discipline for achieving success.
The Maldives team has departed for Kathmandu, Nepal, to participate in the SAFF U20 Championship, scheduled from August 18 to 28.
Minister Rafiu met with the team a day before their departure and stressed the importance of discipline for achieving success.
Reflecting on his past experience, Rafiu shared how a lack of discipline had negatively impacted teams and led to poor results.
"To achieve success, it's crucial to maintain discipline. I've seen firsthand how failing to uphold standards can affect the entire team and lead to worse outcomes," said Rafiu, who previously served as a team doctor for the National football teams.
The Maldives will face Bhutan and India in the group stage.
Rafiu emphasized the need for a competitive mindset, stating, "We must aim to compete, not just participate. Our goal should be to win; if we don't focus on that, we risk losing."
He assured that the Maldivian government will continue to support football in all possible ways and encouraged the U20 team to ensure that their results in the SAFF U20 championship brings joy and hope to football in the country.
