Dr Zahir honoured with gold medal for cricket service

A symbolic gold medal has been awarded to Dr Mohamed Zahir Hussain in recognition of his extensive service towards promoting the sport of cricket in the Maldives. 

The gold medal was presented by leading club Milan Cricket Academy at a ceremony held last night. 

Last night's ceremony at the Social Centre celebrated the club's success over the past four years. The gold medal awarded to Dr Zahir was accepted by his son, Vaail Zahir Hussain. 

During his tenure as Sports Minister, Dr Zahir oversaw the creation of a dedicated cricket ground and introduced the 'Cricket Net' to provide training in batting and bowling. 

Milan Cricket Academy Chairman Farhath Jaleel recognized Dr Zahir for his leadership in elevating cricket into a flourishing sport in the Maldives. 

"When the current cricket grounds were just empty land, the national football tournament's second and third divisions were also played there. So the opportunity to play cricket was limited. To create more chances for cricket, Dr Zahir decided to relocate football matches to the area near FAM," he said. 

Dr Zahir's decision presented cricket players the opportunity to play every day, Farhath said. Dr Zahir, he further noted, took the lead in converting the cricket pitch from sand into a green field. 

"That day, in a meeting where I was also present, Dr Zahir asked if we wanted to make the cricket field green. When we said yes, he asked us to pause playing there for some time," Farhath recalled. 

"He then instructed then lawyer Hamid Abdul Ghafoor to make arrangements to grow grass there."

Hamid commended Dr Zahir as a Sports Minister who consistently prioritized athletes' concerns. 

"He was someone who promptly responded to requests by athletes. Even Cricket Net was established in this manner, as a timely response to requests from athletes," Hamid said. 

At last night's ceremony, plaques were awarded to all who contributed to Milan Cricket Academy's four-year Championship run in the Maldives Cricket Premier League.