Vice President Uz Hussain Mohamed Latheef attended the opening match of the SAFF U20 Championship, marking the first time the Maldives has hosted the regional tournament.

The opening fixture, held at the National Football Stadium, saw the Maldives national team narrowly lose 3–2 to Sri Lanka in a closely contested match.

Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu, South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Secretary General Purushottam Kattel, and Football Association of Maldives (FAM) President Ahmed Thariq were also in attendance.