Walk around the local Maldivian community in the late afternoon, where the sun is prepping its departure for nightfall and you will find children to old men on their motorbikes running towards their leisure grounds. Wearing their hue coloured jerseys, they jog in their shoes towards the turf grounds to play the one sport, football. It is not a traditional sport, but it is the national sport of the Maldives.
Football was originated in the UK around a time in 1863, but there is no written evidence as to when the sport merged with the Maldivian culture. It can be assumed that football like many other things, integrated with Maldivian culture during the time when the Maldives peacefully agreed to become a colony of the British in 1887. Played as a communal sport, Maldivians played football barefoot on the white sandy grounds and this scene can still be witnessed among children in many islands.
Playing the first international in 1979, was the first few years of the Maldive national football team. Growing internationally, the national football team started playing in international leagues such as the SAFF and the AFC. Though most local football club leagues were more common in the Maldives, it was not until the 2008 SAFF Championship that garnered nation-wide attention towards the Maldivian national team. After losing in the finals twice, 2008 Maldives and SriLanka co-hosted the championship together. Third time is the charm indeed when the Maldives challenged India in the finals after 11 years and finished as champions. The streets of Male’ and the entire Maldives went completely red, with flags and screaming fans marching on the streets and singing in crowds on large pickups. The celebration that went on for weeks day and night also garnered the popular five horn chant.
Even though the national team has not been successful to win any league ever since, hope is still intact in the Maldivian hearts that one day the national football team will take part in the FIFA World Cup. Win or lose, walking on the green turf as one of the qualified teams is a Maldivian dream. Despite the national football team, Maldivians are also keen fans of international football leagues. FA Cup, Premier League, FIFA World Cup and the Euro Cup, are celebrated leagues whether it takes for them to stay up due to the time-zone difference. Football is an ever-growing sport in the nation, and surely a sport that is never expected to fall from its popularity.
Culture, Nature and Football, a true representation of the Maldive community.
