Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) on Tuesday announced that Maldives Commonwealth Games Association has been re-admitted as one of its members, paving the way for the South Asian island nation to compete at future editions of the Commonwealth Games. The Maldives missed the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games due to the Maldives government’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 2016.

“The resolution for the re-admission of the Maldives was approved in a vote of the 71 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) in August 2020, meaning that the Commonwealth sporting family grows to 72 nations and territories,” CGF said in a statement.

“The CGF resolution comes after the Maldives Government’s application for re-admission to the Commonwealth was approved by Commonwealth Heads of Government and announced by the Commonwealth Secretariat earlier this year,” it added.

Maldives has competed in eight editions of the Commonwealth Games, beginning in Edinburgh in 1986 and most recently in Glasgow in 2014.

CGF President Dame Louise Martin, in a letter to Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and the Maldives CGA, said she is delighted to confirm the re-admission of Maldives.

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“I am delighted to confirm the re-admission of the Maldives as a Member of the Commonwealth Games Federation. The Resolution for the re-admission of the Maldives was overwhelmingly approved by our Membership, and on behalf of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement, may I congratulate you as we welcome your country and your inspirational athletes back to the Commonwealth Games,” CGF’s official website quoted Martin as saying.

“It will be an honour and a privilege to see the Maldives compete at the next Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022, where there will be a huge support for your island nation, especially at the Opening Ceremony. It is a pleasure to see the Maldives return to our family of nations and to work with us to uphold our collective values of Humanity, Equality, and Destiny,” she added.