Celebrations continue with sports festival and public feast

The Maldivian people want to live a healthy life in peace and harmony with each other, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said Sunday, as he joined a sports festival and public feast to celebrate his inauguration.

“I have seen today that a lot of people want to go forward with a good health and in unity,” he told reporters at the Maafannu Stadium in Malé on his first day in office.

President Solih promised to organise more events in the coming days after taking part in various sports activities at the Dhulhaheyo Hashiheyo (Fit and Healthy) festival.

The two-day festival began with water sports activities near the capital’s official jetty. Vice President Faisal Naseem, Speaker Gasim Ibrahim, Home Minister Imran Abdulla and former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom also attended.

Some 17 sports associations and 15 organisations participated. The festival will end with a football match between politicians on Monday night.

Carrying out the sports festival across the country, arranging public exercising spaces, designating a sports councillor for each island, and granting a budget of at least MVR500,000 (US$32,425) to sports associations are among policies to be enacted in the first 100 days of the new administration.

On Sunday night, Solih attended the Jazeera public feast at the artificial beach area along with former president Mohamed Nasheed, cabinet ministers and other coalition leaders. 

Hundreds of coalition supporters joined the dinner.

Photos from the president’s office