Maldives’s first international beach volleyball training facility was opened on Saturday.

The new court developed at the Hulhumalé Youth Park was officially opened by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, with a beach volleyball game.

The president’s team comprising of parliament speaker and former President Mohamed Nasheed and Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof faced the national beach volleyball pair- Shiunaz Ahmed and Ahmed Ali.

A second match was held, between a youth ministry team and the volleyball veterans.

Speaking at the event, member of the volleyball interim committee Ahmed “Kaattey” Saajid noted that this is the same facility used by the players to train for last year’s Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) and thanked the sports minister for developing it to an international standard.

While an international standard beach volleyball facility has been established in Hulhumalé, it is one sport where Maldivian athletes have been making great strides recently.

As such, the men’s beach volley team won silver at last year’s Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG).