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France legend Marcel Desailly inspires football spirit at Jumeirah Vittaveli in Maldives

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Former France international Marcel Desailly has visited the Maldives twice before, the latest being a couple of years back. The football legend is back in the island paradise for a third time, and he could not be happier. In fact, he is so happy that he has already shared with his fans around the world his signature “Ah Ha Ha Ha” laugh from the turquoise waters surrounding Jumeirah Vittaveli, where he is staying.

 “This place is just amazing! It’s so great to be here,” Desailly told Maldives Insider.

“You’ve preserved your environment. It’s well-organised. The community is benefitting [from] the works done by the hotels in the system. Tourism is something very important [to] you. Tourism and sports; those can be very effective here.”

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True to that understanding, his third visit to the Maldives is special. Desailly has already graced the opening ceremony of Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League — the Maldives’ top football league — and shared his inspiration with fellow professional footballers from the island nation that aspire to follow in the footsteps of legends like him.

And just a day before ending his six-day visit to the Maldives, Desailly inspired the spirit of football in an altogether different bunch of people; the team members at Jumeirah Vittaveli. The friendly fustal match was held Monday afternoon at the futsal grounds of the island resort, and was played between a team led by The Rock — a nickname he has been given due to his consistency, strength and hard-tackling playing style — and another selected from amongst the resort staff.

France football legend Marcel Desailly plays futsal with the staff at Jumeirah Vittaveli on Monday. PHOTO/ JUMEIRAH

On the pitch, the former defensive midfielder awed the spectators, comprising staff members as well as several guests holidaying on the island, with his skills, and played an instrumental role in leading his team to an 8-4 win.

But the most defining moment came right after the 40-minute game, when he just could not get off the pitch! Improvising the carefully curated programme for the afternoon, the former AC Milan and Chelsea star went on teaching football tactics to some enthusiastic staff members.

“We’re always here to promote football, from the grassroots. … But [when you’re in the Maldives], you’ve holiday, entertainment, and you promote my passion, which is sports,” he said.

France football legend Marcel Desailly coaches a staff member after the futsal match at Jumeirah Vittaveli on Monday.

Desailly was presented with a plaque by Amit Majumder, the General Manager at Jumeirah Vittaveli, as he thanked the Frenchman for staying at the resort. Desailly, on his part, heaped praise on the resort, describing it as “the full package”.

“Good hotel. Good food. … I was given a very warm welcome,” he said.

Amit Majumder, the General Manager at Jumeirah Vittaveli, presents a plaque to France football legend Marcel Desailly after the futsal match at the resort on Monday.

Located a short 20-minute ride aboard a luxurious motorised catamaran from the main Velana International Airport, Jumeirah Vittaveli offers unmatched diversity, subtle luxury and personalised exploration, whether you are seeking a romantic getaway or an exotic destination for your family.

In addition to the recently launched Royal Residence, the resort comprises of 89 villas and suites each with their own swimming pool and direct access to the beach or lagoon. The private and spacious villas are available with one or two bedrooms making them the ideal accommodation for both families and couples. Highlights are the free-standing Ocean Suites, located only a heartbeat away from the main island and accessible by complimentary boat service.

France legend Marcel Desailly autographs a football for Jumeirah Vittaveli General Manager Amit Majumder after the futsal match at the resort on Monday. PHOTO/ JUMEIRAH

In the Maldives, Desailly, who was a member of the France international squads that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, also spoke about the latest happenings in the world of international football, including Barcelona star Neymar’s recent move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in a record-breaking €222 million deal.

“I’m part of the people who don’t see any problem with it. You deal with talent. For a film, when they invest [USD] 400 million to make a movie, and they pay Brad Pitt for three months of work USD 30 million, nobody says anything,” he told Mohamed Hamdhoon, a sports journalist from local daily Mihaaru, after the futsal match with the Jumeirah Vittaveli team.

“I consider that Neymar coming to France will raise the profile of Paris Saint-Germain. Paris Saint-Germain will have a huge return on sponsorship and they will gain on merchandising. It’s business. It’s the fans and the media that have to understand that football has now become a business on its own. Taxi driver, tourism, broadcast, hotel — everybody will benefit. The Chinese will come to Paris again more and more to have a look at the picture of Neymar and to have a look at the stadium.”

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After sharing his passion for football with professionals as well as his hosts at Jumeirah Vittaveli, Desailly leaves the Maldives on Tuesday, but only to return. Like many sports legends, including Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Carlos Tevez, Arjen Robben, Miroslav Klose and Franz Beckenbauer, Desailly has also fallen in love with the white sand beaches and the blue skies of the Maldives.

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Netflix’s ‘All the Sharks’ puts global spotlight on tiger shark paradise in Maldives’ Fuvahmulah

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The first episode of Netflix’s new competition series All the Sharks is set in Fuvahmulah, Maldives — an island now confirmed by scientists as home to the largest documented aggregation of tiger sharks in the world.

The global series, which premiered Friday, follows four teams of marine experts racing to photograph the most shark species across six biodiverse marine locations. Its opening episode brings viewers into the waters of Fuvahmulah, a shark diving hotspot in the southern Maldives, where recent research has identified 239 individual tiger sharks over six years — more than any other single location globally.

A peer-reviewed study published earlier this year in Nature.com, led by Lennart Vossgaetter of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany, used non-invasive photo identification to confirm Fuvahmulah’s ecological significance. Researchers found that adult female tiger sharks show strong site fidelity, remaining in the island’s warm, food-rich waters for extended periods during gestation.

The big picture: Science meets streaming in Fuvahmulah

Fuvahmulah, long renowned by divers for consistent encounters with tiger sharks, now features prominently in both marine research and global entertainment. The Netflix episode captures this extraordinary setting as part of a larger series spanning Japan, South Africa, the Galapagos, Australia and the Bahamas.

According to the study, Fuvahmulah’s waters — influenced by oceanic currents and lacking a surrounding atoll — provide ideal reproductive conditions for tiger sharks, particularly pregnant females. The research team documented the world’s highest number of individual tiger sharks identified in one confined marine area.

The scientists described Fuvahmulah as a “bright spot” for tiger shark conservation in the Indian Ocean, bolstered by the Maldives’ national shark sanctuary status.

Zoom in: A friendly global shark race

All the Sharks follows four two-person teams — Shark Docs, Gills Gone Wild, British Bait Off and Land Sharks — competing to photograph the most and rarest shark species at each location.

The series is hosted by Tom “The Blowfish” Hird, a marine biologist known for his dramatic delivery and braided pirate-style beard.

Points are awarded based on species rarity, with the season’s top team winning US$50,000 for a marine conservation charity of their choice.

Though the show leans on reality TV conventions, its content remains grounded in ocean science and conservation. Fuvahmulah’s inclusion in the series serves as both a dramatic setting and an educational entry point into the world of shark biology and environmental protection.

Details: Unregulated tourism meets scientific concern

The Nature.com study also raised concerns about the rapid growth of shark tourism in Fuvahmulah, particularly at the island’s famed “Tiger Harbour.” While tourism provides a major economic boost for the island, shark provisioning and diving currently remain unregulated, with no official national guidelines.

The researchers warned that the absence of regulation — including standardised safety measures and environmental practices — could jeopardise both shark welfare and the long-term viability of the tourism industry.

They pointed to successful models in countries like Fiji, where community-managed marine protected areas (MPAs) have been implemented to balance economic activity with ecological sustainability. The study recommended similar frameworks for the Maldives, calling for inclusive stakeholder management plans to ensure responsible ecotourism in one of the world’s most important shark sanctuaries.

Why it matters: Maldives in the global spotlight

The series premiere and the scientific findings together shine a global spotlight on the Maldives’ critical role in shark conservation. As the world celebrates 50 years since Jaws and enters another summer of shark-themed content, All the Sharks provides a rare blend of adventure, education and scientific relevance.

The show includes conservation graphics detailing the biology and threatened status of each shark species, shifting the narrative from fear to appreciation. For viewers — and for the Maldives — the message is clear: these apex predators are essential to ocean health and worthy of protection.

The bottom line: Fuvahmulah is both spectacle and sanctuary

As All the Sharks captures the thrill of underwater discovery, Fuvahmulah emerges not only as a top-tier dive destination but as one of the most ecologically important shark habitats in the world. With Netflix bringing its waters to millions of viewers and science affirming its global conservation value, the moment calls for action — to protect, to regulate and to preserve this unique corner of the Maldives for generations to come.

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Dive for free at Kandooma, just named Maldives’ leading dive resort

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Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has been crowned ‘Maldives Leading Dive Resort 2025’ at the prestigious World Travel Awards, marking a major milestone as the inaugural winner of this newly introduced category.

The announcement was made at a glittering gala ceremony held on 29 June in Tanzania, attended by tourism and hospitality leaders from across Africa and the Indian Ocean. The accolade honours Kandooma’s commitment to exceptional diving experiences and innovation in accessible underwater tourism.

“We’re surrounded by some of the most awe-inspiring marine life in the Maldives – it’s truly like diving in a living aquarium,” said Mark Eletr, General Manager of Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives. “From graceful manta rays and reef sharks to turtles, moray eels, and vast schools of tropical fish, our waters are teeming with life.”

Just minutes from the resort are world-class dive sites including Kandooma Thila, a renowned cleaning station for grey reef sharks; Guraidhoo Corner, famous for its strong currents and pelagic encounters; and Medhu Faru, where divers drift alongside vibrant coral walls. The close proximity of these sites allows for up to three dives a day – ideal for enthusiasts chasing underwater thrills.

Central to Kandooma’s diving success is its bold ‘Dive Free’ initiative – a game-changer for the scuba community. Guests who stay three nights or more and are certified divers receive two complimentary boat dives per day, including equipment and professional guidance.

“Diving can be an expensive pursuit, so we decided to flip the script,” Eletr added. “Our ‘Dive Free’ program removes the barriers and makes the underwater magic of the Maldives accessible to more people than ever.”

Kandooma’s on-site 5-star PADI dive centre offers courses for beginners through to advanced, specialty certifications and refreshers, as well as private excursions for underwater photography, night dives, and wreck explorations.

With its commitment to sustainability, marine preservation, and guest experience, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has proven that world-class diving doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag – just a sense of adventure.

For more information or to book a diving escape, visit: www.maldives.holidayinnresorts.com

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Siyam World kicks off August with star-studded football camps

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No shoes, no stress, just goals! This August, Siyam World Maldives is turning up the heat with not one, not two, but three football legends taking over the island for exclusive five-day Football Residence Camps – Wayne Bridge, Kean Bryan, Andrew Johnson.

Wayne Bridge | August 1–5

A former England international and Premier League left-back with over 300 top-flight appearances, Wayne is best known for his time at Chelsea, Manchester City, and Southampton. His elite-level experience, from Champions League nights to FA Cup triumphs, makes him the ultimate coach for young players looking to level up.

Kean Bryan | August 11–15

A midfield dynamo with a Premier League pedigree, Kean’s career includes spells at Manchester City, Sheffield United, and West Brom. Known for his technical skill and tactical brain, he brings a youth-focused approach packed with energy, precision, and motivation.

Andrew Johnson (AJ) | August 17–21

A former England striker and Crystal Palace legend, AJ lit up the Premier League with his pace and goal-scoring flair. His sessions will bring fast-paced drills, goal-scoring tips, and a whole lot of fun to the pitch.

Each 5-day camp for kids between 5 and 12 years, takes place on the resort’s own World Sports Arena, as part of their exclusive Football Residences programme, designed to inspire the next generation of football stars while having the time of their lives in paradise. Spots are limited, and trust us, they’ll go fast. Give your child the chance to train with football legends, make lifelong friends, and experience the magic of the Maldives—because this is one match they won’t want to miss.

Siyam World has already hosted some of the biggest names in football, with past camps featuring stars like: Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Daniel Agger or Esteban Cambiasso. Joining this incredible lineup, those football legends in August are making Siyam World the go-to destination for football-obsessed kids and their families.

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