International Diamond Jubilee tournament to be held next year

In celebration of 75 years of Maldivian football, an International Diamond Jubilee tournament is set to take place next year, as per FAM.

International football teams will be extended invitations to play in the tournament, with FAM President Ahmed Thoriq (Tom) eyeing the tournament to take place before the SAFF Championships.

"The idea is to host the jubilee tournament before the SAFF Championships. We want players to experience the Diamond Jubilee tournament before they head off to play at the SAFF Championships," said Thoriq.

"But since the date of the SAFF Championship hasn't been finalized, the exact date of the Diamond Jubilee tournament hasn't been scheduled either."

FAM has also established a committee to oversee the activities in celebration of the diamond jubilee. Former national team coach Ali Suzain was appointed to chair the committee, with other members being New Radiant Chairman Ahmed Mubeen, Valencia Chairman Abdulla Azmeen and Dhidhdhoo constituency MP Abdul Latheef, with Mubeen being deputy.

Thoriq has stated that the timeframe of the committee is one year.

"The timeframe of the committee is from August 2025 to 1st August 2026, with the Diamond Jubilee running its course before then," said Thoriq.

A football tournament in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Maldivian football took place in the year 2000. Maldives lost the finals to Sri Lanka due to a penalty. Imran Mohamed, a current FAM ExCo member, played in the Golden Jubilee Football Tournament wearing the national goalkeeper gloves for the first time.

Maldivian football turns 75 this year. The occasion is linked to the year a separate body was established to run the football tournament, which was in 1950.

Maldivians took the initiative to come up with a national football tournament for the first time in 1948. Two teams were crowned champion in that tournament.

A national football team was formed for the first in Maldives in 1978. Maldives competed in the Indian Ocean Island Games football event in that same year. Ibrahim Ismail was made the national captain at the time. The first player to score in the national jersey was (now deceased) Abdulla Rasheed (Jooley), with him scoring at the Indian Ocean Island Games.

A football agency was first established in 1982, under the name of FAM, with Maldives becoming a member of FIFA in 1984. The Golden Jubilee tournament was the first international tournament hosted in Maldives.

The Maldives POMIS Cup that was established in 1987 was the first tournament where Maldives extended invitations internationally. Maldives won its first cup during the 2008 SAFF Championships, by defeating India in the finals at Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Women's National Football Team was established in 2003, with a National Futsal Team being established in 2004.