Huge challenges ahead: Bassam

Male’, MALDIVES – Football Association of Maldives general secretary Bassam Adheel Jaleel has said that they have huge challenges ahead when they kick off the football season of 2015.

In an exclusive interview given to Maldivesoccer.com, Bassam said that their main challenge would be to arrange a way to ensure more spectators enter the stadium.

“We have huge challenges ahead and our main challenge would be to find a way to enter spectators to the stadium. And the players did not perform well. They are just doing their job to kick the ball.”

“We are having a very good relationship with FIFA and AFC and we are going to arrange a seminar for the heads of the clubs to guide them to sustain the clubs with the assistance of AFC.”

Bassam also highlighted that they will be giving a wealthy financial assistance to the teams competing in Dhivehi Premier League.

“After the introduction of Dhivehi Premier League we will be giving MVR 2 million to each team competing in DPL and I would say it will be a wealthy amount for a club to get success. But we will decide soon whether we are going to give it monthly or at once.”

When asked about the situation of the clubs when they were appointed to work at FAM, Bassam said things are going very well and smoothly.

“When we started to work here we all know that we have many problems within the football family but now things have changed and we are meeting with the clubs separately and I would say 99% of the clubs support the new manifesto.”

Bassam also reiterated that after the introduction of POMIS Cup the hype of the Maldivian football will boost.

“POMIS Cup will help us a lot to boost the hype of the football and I would say it would be a good opportunity for the clubs as well as the players to compete with foreign clubs.”

Under the helm of the normalization committee the first tournament of this year would be the POMIS Cup which will be kick off on 22nd January.