Paradise Found For Maldives Soccer Ambassador
3 December 2009
Ahmed Afaal in action.
I wish to pass on my deepest congratulations and warm wishes to Ahmed, his academic success is of the utmost importance to him personally and to sports in the Maldives
”Shah Ismail, General Secretary of the FA Maldives.
Maldives soccer star and football coach Ahmed Afaal
Maldives soccer star and football coach Ahmed Afaal is set to inspire a new generation to fall in love with the beautiful game in his homeland after securing his Master's degree 5,280 miles away... in Buxton!
There are no universities within the island chain - often referred to by tourists as Paradise - so Ahmed had to leave the idyllic setting to pursue his academic dreams.
After enrolling at the University of Derby in 2006, academics were so impressed with his ability that he was fast-tracked from a Football Studies foundation degree and onto the MA in Strategic Sports Management course in Buxton with his independent study titled A Vision and a Strategy for Sports in the Maldives.
And this Saturday, Ahmed is one of the headliners at the University of Derby Buxton's Awards Ceremonies as he graduates at our Devonshire Campus alongside around 200 other students.
It doesn't end there as Ahmed - who represented the Maldives national football team and has also been a coach - aims to return to the islands to use the power of sport to steer young people away from a life of crime and drugs.
With a population of 369,000, Ahmed rose to become a defender and midfielder for the national side from 1995-98 and then set up football training and development programmes for the Ministry of Youth and Sports after hanging up his boots.
Ahmed, 36, who heralds from the Maldives capital Male, said: "The Maldives are typically known as a tropical paradise, popular with honeymooners, but urban growth has led to some serious social problems. There are no universities and not much for young people to do. There are increasing perceived problems with drugs and gangs.
"My work with the Ministry of Youth opened my eyes to how football and sport in general can give young people a focus and a goal to work towards. The course in Buxton was ideal for me. I was able to use the skills I'd already learned but to apply new academic ways of thinking and approaching problems.
"My dream is to lead the Maldives to a better future and I see sport as the way to do that."
Shah Ismail, General Secretary of the FA Maldives said: "I wish to pass on my deepest congratulations and warm wishes to Ahmed, his academic success is of the utmost importance to him personally and to sports in the Maldives.
"I have known Ahmed since he was a young player, he has a quiet intelligence and I have every confidence that when he returns to the Maldives he will bring with him a wealth of knowledge and experience which will help the country to implement a new and modern sports strategy."
Education opportunities beyond A Levels are slim in the Maldives so to gain the qualifications needed to progress his ideas Ahmed needed to look further afield and opted for the UK after studying his options on the internet.
He looked at a number of universities but Derby clinched it as he was impressed with the course which he said offered the right elements and opportunities for progression on to post graduate courses. He also fell in love with the beauty of Buxton and felt it was a good place to bring his young family.
Three years on and proud wife, Mukshiya - who teaches A Level Physics at Abbey College in Cambridge - and their two sons, Raeel, 8, and Maail, 12, will be in the audience on Saturday as Ahmed collects his Master's degree.
Charles Spring, Programme Leader Sports Studies, at the University of Derby Buxton, said: "It's been a joy working with Ahmed, from the start he was a motivated and driven student.
"Ahmed also brought a lot with him, we've all benefited by learning about his experiences as a footballer and his subsequent work with the Maldives sports industry.
"It's unusual for people in the Maldives to have graduate qualifications in sports so Ahmed will have a real advantage when he takes his skills home."
Since finishing his studies this summer Ahmed has been working with the Menzies Hotel in Cambridge - supporting the development of the health club and golf course. His visa runs for a further two years and he hopes to have gained more vital experience in that time before returning to the Maldives to hopefully fulfil his ambitions.
Factfile: Maldives soccer history
- The team was still in its infancy during Ahmed's time in the national team and he saw some big defeats including: Iran 17- 0 Maldives. (Although he didn't play in that game!)
- The team had just entered the SAFF Championship (South Asian Football Federation Cup) - The countries that compete in the tournaments are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It is held every two years. He saw them improve year on year and last year the team won the Cup.
- Even more encouragingly, the Maldives qualified for the second stage of Asian Qualifying for the 2006 World Cup, where it drew with South Korea at home 0-0.
- The Maldives' most significant success was winning the 2008 SAFF Championship when they beat India in the final 1-0.
- The national team plays at the Rasmee Dhandu Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Male, Maldives.
- Their nickname is the Green Heroes.
- The team has a FIFA ranking of 148.
For further media information please Annabel Harvey on 01332 593004 or email a.harvey@derby.ac.uk.
