Ahmed Thariq (Tom) Elected FAM President Unopposed

Ahmed Thariq, popularly known as Tom, has officially returned to the presidency of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM) after being elected unanimously as the only nominee at an extraordinary congress held on Saturday. 

Thariq, a former national team player and sitting MP for Mahibadhoo, had secured nomination support from all 23 eligible member clubs.

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During the congress held at Meerumaa Hotel, Thariq and his full executive committee (Exco) were formally elected by a unanimous vote of 32 congress members, confirming them for a four-year term. The election marks the completion of reforms overseen by the FIFA-appointed Normalization Committee, which had managed FAM since last year.

A New Leadership Team

Under the new statutes approved by FAM’s congress last month, Thariq will lead a restructured executive committee composed of club officials, former national players, and female representatives:

• Senior Vice President: Ali Ibrahim (New Radiant; MP for West Henveiru)
• Vice Presidents: Hussain Shafiu (Maziya), Mujtaba Jaleel (New Radiant)
• Members: Imran Mohamed (former goalkeeper), Mohamed Umair (former striker), Ahmed Abbas (TC Sports), Ali Rizwan (BG Sports), and Abdulla Nasih (Odi Sports)
• Female Members: Hawwa Nasra Saeed and Hawwa Rasheeda

This is the first FAM executive committee elected under new statutes mandating gender quotas and enhanced financial transparency.

Overcoming Past Challenges

Thariq’s election caps a long journey marked by setbacks in two earlier bids for the presidency, which were blocked by the FAM Electoral Committee on procedural grounds. Those decisions were later overturned by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which identified breaches of FAM’s own statutes.

In response to the governance crisis, FIFA dissolved FAM’s executive committee last year and installed the Normalization Committee to guide the association through reform and fresh elections.

Reforms to Rebuild Trust

The election follows major amendments to FAM’s statutes passed in June, including:

• A new, transparent electoral code
• Mandatory financial disclosure and audits
• Restrictions on large cash transactions
• Gender quotas requiring at least two female members on the executive committee
• A one-year timeline to implement a women’s football development framework

These changes aim to restore public confidence in FAM, which remains shadowed by corruption allegations against former president Bassam Adeel Jaleel, whose leadership ended amid investigations of financial mismanagement and unapproved transactions.

Pledges for Reform and Inclusion

In his campaign and a statement posted to social media, Thariq outlined his plans to reshape FAM’s governance and bring voices from across the Maldives into decision-making.

“With the promise of establishing regional associations in four areas of the country and enabling these regions to express their views on FAM matters, I have submitted my nomination papers with the backing of all the member clubs (23 clubs),” he wrote on Facebook.

Thariq has also pledged to:

• Launch a new national youth football development program
• Strengthen club licensing and professional standards
• Expand women’s football, including national teams and grassroots programs
• Increase financial transparency with annual audits and published reports
• Secure new sponsorships and partnerships to boost funding
• Organise more regional tournaments to support island-based clubs