ANN/THE PHNOM PENH POST – Cambodia will host the second Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship this July, marking its debut as host after Thailand’s inaugural event last August.
This announcement came from Gordon Tang, vice-president of the Olympic Council of Asia and president of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA), during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Manet in Phnom Penh on April 22.
According to the AMMA, the association was established in Singapore, in order to promote and develop mixed martial arts activities across Asia.
It added that it is the sole pan-Asian mixed martial arts federation, and has been recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia.
Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is a full-contact hybrid combat sport, which incorporates elements of striking, grappling and ground fighting from many different fighting styles from all around the world.
Originally designed as a means of determining which of the martial arts would be the most effective in an actual fight, modern participants typically train in a mix of styles, including striking arts like Kun Khmer, as well as the ground fighting techniques of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
While meeting with Manet, Tang described how he has personally contributed to the development of the Kingdom’s sporting sector, offering both financial and technical support for the sports of sailing and gymnastics in particular, as well as sending Cambodian athletes to China for further training.
He also told the prime minister that he offered his full backing for the Kingdom’s hosting of the 2029 Asian Youth Games, and urged that more sports be incorporated into the event.
Manet informed Tang that each of the Kingdom’s relevant institutions are standing ready to cooperate with him on the organisation of future sporting events.
The prime minister encouraged more international sporting events to be hosted by Cambodia, in order to build on the success of the 32nd SEA Games, which were hosted by the Kingdom for the first time in May 2023.
The games received widespread praise from the international community, with several of the attending nations describing them as the “best ever”.
