FAM will regain public trust: new FAM president Thoriq

Football Association of Maldives (FAM) will be rebuilt as a trustworthy institution for fans, sponsors and the government, the association’s new president Ahmed Thoriq (Tom) has pledged.

Thoriq made the remarks after his executive committee was unanimously elected to lead the FAM for the next four years during the association’s congress yesterday.

The incoming leadership inherits an association burdened by over MVR 150 million in debts owed to both domestic and international bodies.

The issue stems from the previous administration, led by Bassam Adeel Jaleel, who faces allegations of corruption and money laundering. As a result, FAM has lost credibility not only with FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), but also with fans and sponsors.

Although the previous leadership pledged to take football to the atolls, it failed to hold the planned league qualifying tournaments despite receiving funding from sponsors.

Rebuilding trust with island communities will therefore be a key priority for Thoriq and his executive committee must now overcome significant challenges to restore faith in the association.

Thoriq vowed to reduce the association’s debt in partnership with FIFA and the Maldivian government. The Normalisation Committee has stated that some of the debt must be repaid directly by FAM, while Thoriq said he will also seek legal recourse to challenge questionable claims.

Outlining his plans for football, Thoriq said that the country will be divided into four zones, each hosting atoll and regional tournaments.

New regional associations will be established to oversee football, futsal and beach soccer, with the structure expected to be fully operational within two years. Work will begin later this year, he said.

FAM is the largest recipient of financial support from foreign football bodies and the Maldivian government. However, the association’s finances have long been hidden.

Annual audits, financial reports and activity summaries have not been made public, and even the salaries of FAM’s executive members were not disclosed upfront.

Thoriq has promised transparency in line with the association’s constitutional obligations. He said FAM’s website will be redesigned and updated with all relevant information, and that access for the media will be improved.