Residents of M. Mulah celebrated the opening of a long-awaited Fitness and Recreation Centre on Monday, with First Lady Sajidha Mohamed officially inaugurating the facility during her visit to the island.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts Abdulla Rafiu, Minister of Health Geela Ali and Mulah Council President Ahmed Jamal, alongside island residents and community representatives.
The newly completed centre marks the culmination of a project that has remained in development for well over a decade.
Plans to establish a youth centre in Mulah first began in 2008, but progress stalled repeatedly over the years despite several attempts to complete the facility. In 2012, the Ministry of Sports allocated MVR 300,000 to the island council to carry out roofing works, while another contractor was appointed in November 2021 to complete the indoor hall.
However, the project failed to move forward as expected, prompting repeated concerns from the island council and local youth over the prolonged delays. In August 2023, the current administration terminated the existing contract after determining that work had come to a standstill.
The project was subsequently handed over to the Road Development Corporation (RDC) in March last year, with the company tasked with completing the facility. According to the government, the centre has now been finished at a cost of MVR 5.2 million.
Officials say the completed facility has been designed to serve as a multi-purpose community space that promotes healthier lifestyles while creating more opportunities for youth engagement.
In addition to a fully equipped gym, the Fitness and Recreation Centre includes dedicated spaces for aerobics and yoga sessions, as well as a hall that can be used for workshops, seminars and community programmes.
The development forms part of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s pledge to establish Fitness and Recreation Centres on every inhabited island of the Maldives. The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Information and Arts has been overseeing the nationwide initiative, describing it as an effort to provide accessible recreational, fitness and community facilities tailored to the needs of island communities.
The government has stated that similar centres are expected to play an important role in encouraging active lifestyles, supporting youth development and creating spaces where residents can participate in educational, sporting and social activities under one roof.
