The Maldives Olympic Committee has launched a one-year advanced sport management course ©MOC

The Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) has launched a one-year advanced sport management course.

Thirteen people are taking part, with the course funded using the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympic Solidarity funding.

This is distributed by the IOC to projects around the world, particularly in less fortunate countries.

Seven men and six women are registered with the course aimed at improving the standard of sports governance in the Asian nation.

The opening session was conducted by Professor BLH Perera, while the whole course will be led by programme directors Hussain Mohamed, Mohamed Jaushan Shareef and Ali Faiz.

This is the first time such a course has been conducted in the Maldives.

The Maldives are still awaiting their first Olympic medal ©Getty Images
The Maldives are still awaiting their first Olympic medal ©Getty Images

However, fellow South-Asian country Sri Lanka has previously held the course.

Maldives has sent athletes to every edition of the Summer Olympics since Seoul 1988.

They have yet to win a medal.

Four athletes represented the country at Rio 2016. 

Hassan Saaid won his heat in the men's 100 metres but then exited after finishing last in his quarter-final.

Fellow athlete Afa Ismail failed to progress from her heat in the women's 200m.

Two swimmers, Ibrahim Nishwan and Aminath Shajan, also failed to progress from their heats.

They competed in the men's 50m freestyle and women's 100m freestyle respectively.