Work has commenced to build an Olympic-grade swimming pool in capital Male'.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Ahmed Mahloof, and President of Swimming Association Abdul Sattar were in attendance at a ceremony held on Monday to kick off the project. The pool will be built in the land area previously used as a landfill on the outer road of Male'. The clearance of the proposed site for the construction of the pool was contracted to Rasheed Carpentry and Construction (RCC) to be completed within 30 days. While clearance of the proposed site commenced on Monday, it is expected to be completed by the end of January.
The establishment of an Olympic-standard swimming pool in the Maldives is a presidential pledge of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. After swearing in on November 17 last year, the president announced that the project will be implemented within the first 100 days of his administration.
However, the project was impeded as a court case was ongoing regarding the land proposed for the project.
A swimming pool was established in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale' during the tenure of former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom. While the national swimming team conducts their practices in said swimming pool, the pool is not built to Olympic standards.
The new swimming pool will be constructed in a two-story building on the property. The pool will be situated on the first floor, and the ground floor will have a cafeteria and a gym specialised for swimming exercises.
The pool will have ten 50 meter lanes and four 25 meter lanes for warming up. The Swimming Association plans to open the pool to the public.
The project is expected to reach completion by December 2020.
