The Largest Sporting event in Maldivian History. The three-month, multi-tiered tournament will include participation of nearly 7500 youths.
The Largest Sporting event in Maldivian History
The Y18 Sports Fiesta is a proposed nationwide sports festival, bringing together the youth of each and every inhabited island in the Maldives. The Y18 Sports Fiesta is a proposed nationwide sports festival, bringing together the youth of each and every inhabited island in the Maldives. The Fiesta includes the two most popular sports among young men
and women in the country - futsal for men and volleyball for women. With some of the largest prize money purses of any sporting event in the country's history, the Y18 Sports Fiesta is a celebration of the success of the first presidential term of President Abulla Yameen, and a fitting reminder of his chosen focus for national development - youth empowerment. In 2013, President Abulla Yameen assumed presidential office as the very first leader to prioritize the country's youth, with exclusive youth and sports manifestos designed to provide unprecedented opportunities for young people. The Fiesta will be launched at the start of October and conclude with a colorful finale in the capital, Male' just before the New Year. The Y18 Sports Fiesta counts among its core objectives the promotion of peace and harmony, camaraderie and friendship among the population, as they come together to participate in or support their identities through sports. It also showcases the development of sports across the country, with more infrastructure and training opportunities during the current term os office of President Abdulla Yameen. Equal weight is given to both sexes, in participation, scope and reward. The Fiesta promote island identity and kinship, as all teams will represent their respective islands, of if cities, they will represent their constituencies. Conforming to international rules and regulations governing both futsal and volleyball, the tournament is also designed to enhance nationwide skill in both sports and to identify future talent. Furthermore, the Fiesta will focus on the implementation of key manifesto pledge, including the development of sports arenas across the country, including the completion of 33 futsal arenas and number of ongoing sporting infrastructure projects. Organised by the Progressive Party of Maldives, with the very forts designated youth wing exclusively for the often-neglected under-30 age cohort, the Y18 Sports Fiesta conforms to the core values of the Party, including the love for sports of PPM's Chief Advisor, President Abulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
