Sports.
At a ceremony held at the Youth Hub in Malé to present the national flag and jerseys to the Maldivian contingent competing in the 5th Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya 2026, Minister of Sports Abdulla Rafiu stated that opportunities will be provided for para-athletes in sports other than just athletics. At this ceremony, which was also attended by the Japanese Ambassador to the Maldives Ishigami Rumiko, the government supported the "100 Celebrities Talk for Para Athletes" campaign in addition to providing assistance for persons with disabilities to compete on the international stage.
Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Fitness Abdulla Rafiu has assured that sports opportunities will be facilitated for Maldivian para-athletes competing on the international stage and that they will receive the government's full support. Minister Rafiu became the first minister to endorse the "100 CTFP" (100 Celebrities Talk For Para-athletes) campaign held to encourage para-athletes, and during this event, international-level messages of encouragement were handed over to two Maldivian para-athletes, Abdul Razzaq Abdul Samad and Fathimath Ibrahim. The Ambassador of Japan to the Maldives, Ishigami Rumiko, and the President of the Maldives Paralympic Committee, Aishath Nazhath, also attended the event held at the Youth Hub. Minister Rafiu stated that the ministry will always work to pave the way for the development of para-athletes and to empower them.
