Maldivian handball player Mohamed Yashmu Ahmed has been removed from the national team shortly after returning from training in Malaysia, sparking questions about the decision.
Yashmu took to social media to explain that he had completed the overseas training with official permission from Handball Maldives. After returning to Male’, he received a call asking him to attend fitness tests. According to Yashmu, he was removed from the national team after he could not attend these tests.
"I came to Male’ because my visa was about to expire. Not long after arriving, the association asked me to come for a test. It was difficult for me to go at that time, right after my travels," Yashmu wrote.
Yashmu stated that he has heard different explanations from the association regarding his dismissal. Some coaches mentioned reasons other than missing the fitness test.
A club-level coach who has trained Yashmu noted that the player, who was awarded Best Handball Player at the most recent Sports Awards, returned from Malaysia on a Friday and was asked to attend the fitness test the following Saturday.
Yashmu’s mother, Mu’umina Adam, also known as Moonty and a former executive committee member of the Handball Association, said that when Yashmu informed the association that he could not attend the test, he was instructed to come to the venue even if he was unable to take the test. When he did not attend, he was told he had been removed from the national team.
The club-level coach described the decision as harsh. "A player who has just returned after training abroad should not be dismissed without clear and strong reasons. Removing him only because he missed a test seems excessive," the coach said.
Moonty added that if a Code of Ethics for players exists, the association should specify which part of it was used to justify Yashmu’s removal. So far, no clarification has been provided.
Yashmu also shared that he had informed the association about the training programs and tournaments he participated in while in Malaysia. During his two and a half months there, he received the standard allowance provided to national team players.
When asked about the measures taken against Yashmu, Hussain Azham, head of the national team’s coaching panel, said that Handball Maldives would issue a formal statement regarding the action.
Handball Maldives President Ahmed Mujuthaba, known as Mujey, said the association has nothing to hide and assured that an official explanation would be released soon.
The removal of a nationally recognized player like Yashmu has raised questions among fans and sports observers about transparency and fairness in the Maldives Handball Association. Many are waiting for the official statement to understand the full reasoning behind the decision.
