Sidibari
National Records in two junior athletics categories have been broken in the U18 national team selection trials.
The records were renewed this February, as the Athletics Association of Maldives held trials to select the junior national team which would represent Maldives this April at the Asian U18 Athletics Championship in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
The U20 national high jump record – which had not been broken for 18 years – was renewed by Yoosuf Naik Vajeeh. Naik managed to leap over the bar at 1.80 metres, surpassing the previously recorded height of 1.78 held by Abdul Majeed Adam.
The other record broken at Dammam trials was the 1500m run in the U-18 category; Aidh Abdhullah Rifau reached the finish line in 04:27.87. The previous national record was kept for 14 years by Ahzam Waheed. In the World U18 Athletics Championships in 2011, Ahzam had completed the race in 04:29.12.
Despite the national record, Aidh was not selected for the Maldives U18 National Team. The high-jump record breaker Naik was selected along with Ahunaf Rayyan Fahumy, the sprinter who had shone at last year’s inter-school athletics.
Including Ahunaf and Naik, the junior national athletics team includes a total five athletes. The other three are Zeek Ashraf, Aminath Luhya Ahmed and Rain Mohamed.
The U18 Asian Athletics Championship will be held from 15th to 18th April in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
