Former national football team striker and current lawmaker Ahmed Thariq, widely known as Tom, has submitted his candidacy for the presidency of the Football Association of Maldives (FAM).
Thariq entered the race with the endorsement of 23 clubs that hold full membership status within FAM. His application was submitted ahead of Sunday’s nomination deadline. It remains unclear whether any other candidates have entered the contest.
“The Football Association of Maldives is currently in a very low state, and the hope is to bring it back to normal within a year,” Thariq said. He also expressed hope that this year’s election process would be completed without any difficulties.
Thariq briefly served as FAM president for nearly four months in 2016 and had also filed his candidacy to contest both of the recent elections that were later disrupted.
In accordance with the FAM constitution, individuals seeking to run for president must be supported by a minimum of five clubs, including at least two from the first division. Thariq’s submission surpasses this requirement.
The election process is now proceeding according to the schedule released by the FAM Electoral Committee. Candidates will be informed of any incompleteness in their application forms by 9 July. They have until 13 July to complete and resubmit any required documentation.
The Electoral Committee will issue final decisions on the candidacies by 15 July. A final meeting to confirm the agenda, the latest list of candidates, and the draw for candidate numbers will be held on 16 July — ten days prior to the election.
The FAM Electoral Congress is scheduled for 26 July.