India has assured the Maldives to build a cricket stadium. Though cricket is not their main sport, Maldives recently made their international debut in January this year in the shortest format of the game. However, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had decided to give full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all the members. Later they asked India to help them build a cricket stadium where India positively agreed.

India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with Abdulla Shahid, her Maldivian counterpart and discussed this. She went there on Sunday on a two-day visit. It was the first full-fledged bilateral trip from India to the island nation after Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came to power last year in November.

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“While discussing cooperation in the field of youth and sports, the Maldivian side requested Indian assistance for the construction of a cricket stadium. The Indian side agreed to positively consider the request,” according to the joint statement which was released at the end of Swaraj’s visit there.

India had announced a USD 1.4 billion financial help to them when President Solih visited India last year in December. However, the island nation of Maldives is popularly known for the amazing beaches and watersports. It’s just 1.5 meters above sea level. The sports which are being played there are – surfing, diving, football, tennis, baseball, badminton, basketball, table tennis etc.

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The Maldives had first participated in Olympics in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea with seven athletes and they were mostly from swimming and athletics. Mohamed Ajfan Rasheed became the first athlete from the nation to participate in Badminton in the 2012 London Olympics.