The Parliament’s Committee on Social Affairs has initiated discussions on expanding the role of sports associations in the process of amending the Sports Act. 

The committee met yesterday to review the Government's proposed amendments to the legislation, marking the first meeting of the year dedicated to this issue.

A total of 72 amendments to the Sports Act (2015/30) have been put forward in Parliament. The proposal was submitted on behalf of the Government by Dhidhdhoo Member of Parliament Abdul Latheef Mohamed. Following a previous decision to postpone deliberations on the matter, the committee has now resolved to gather input from sports associations before proceeding further.

During the meeting, the committee decided to allow associations a week to submit their recommendations on the amendments. The session was attended by various association representatives, some of whom expressed concerns that they had not been consulted on previous amendments to the legislation. However, other associations pointed out that discussions had taken place with the Maldives Olympic Committee, and proposals had been submitted to the Attorney General’s Office before reaching Parliament.

Deputy Chair of the committee, West Maafannu Constituency Member of Parliament, Mohamed Musthafa Ibrahim, confirmed that associations would be given a week's time to provide their input. He also urged the Government to ensure that the legislative process is completed within the stipulated time frame, emphasising the need for swift action on finalising the amendments.

Several associations stressed the importance of making significant changes to the Sports Act, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and structured approach to policy-making.