President pledges MVR 1 million if national team reaches semis

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has promised to give the national team MVR 1 million if Maldives reaches the semi-finals in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup, scheduled to begin in the Maldives on Monday.

Addressing the national team at Muleeaage tonight, the President said that the team's target should be to win the Challenge Cup, and encouraged them to ‘aim high’ in addition to focusing on winning individual matches.

The President said that he hoped to see the Maldivian national team become an international-standard team, and winning the Challenge Cup would be the ‘bridge’ to achieving that dream.

“We consider the needs of our youth, and include funds in the budget every year to address those needs. But this time, if the Maldivian national team reaches the semi-finals in the AFC Challenge Cup, I would like to give the national team MVR 1 million as a gift,” he said.