Mixed Reaction as President’s Son Nominated for Maldives Sports Awards 2025
President’s son Umyr Mohamed Muizzu nominated for Young Sportsman of the Year, prompting mixed public reaction and debate over merit and governance. | Photo: Maldives Sports Awards
The nomination of Umyr Mohamed Muizzu, eldest son of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, for the Maldives Sports Awards 2025 has prompted mixed reactions online, with some social media users alleging nepotism while others defended his sporting record.
The Table Tennis Association of Maldives (TTAM) nominated Umyr and Zeek Hassan Latheef for the Young Sportsman of the Year category. Other nominees across categories include Mohamed Azaan Ahmed and Eyan Ahmed in bodybuilding, and Mohamed Rihan Shiham in swimming.
Criticism on social media has centred on claims of favouritism, with some netizens linking the nomination to TTAM Vice President Ibrahim Shiuree, who also serves as Managing Director of Visit Maldives Corporation (formerly MMPRC).
Responding to the criticism, Ahmed Mahloof, former Sports Minister from previous administration and current Ambassador of the Maldives to Japan, defended the nomination in a post on X. Mahloof stated that Umyr is an accomplished table tennis player who has won gold medals at both national and international levels. He added that Umyr was not nominated because he is the President’s son, but due to his achievements in 2024, describing the nomination as the result of long-term effort. Mahloof also noted that Umyr was previously part of the “Arutha” athlete development programme during the previous MDP administration.
The Ministry of Sports announced that the Maldives Sports Awards 2025 ceremony will be held tomorrow night, celebrating achievements of national teams, athletes and officials for the year 2024. The ceremony was initially scheduled for 2025 but postponed for unspecified reasons. The Ministry added that the Maldives Sports Awards 2026 will be held later this year.
Observers have also noted that no footballers were nominated, despite football being widely regarded as the country’s most popular sport.
The nominations have sparked debate online over merit, governance and transparency in national sporting awards.
