The growth of mixed martial arts, globally, took another huge leap forward this week as Thailand officially recognised MMA as a sport.
The nation sports recognition was given by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), largely due to the incredible work of the Thai Association of Mixed Martial Arts (TAMMA), an internation federation for MMA that is a member of the Global Association Of Mixed Martial Arts.
The SAT board is made up of a number of prominent figures including Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Suriya Juangroongruangkit as its President with the support of Dr. Kongsak Yodmanee as the Governor. The recognition from MMA was granted at the highest national level and was signed into Thai Law on 18 June.
TAMMA is led by General Taweep Jantararoj (Honorary President), Sirichet Punthipayanon (President) and Achilleus Ralli (Vice-president). In a statement released in regards to the national recognition, General Secretary Achilleus Ralli commented:
“On behalf of TAMMA, I would like to thank the Board of the Sports Authority of Thailand for recognising MMA as an official sport in Thailand. TAMMA will continue to work hard to promote and grow MMA in Thailand. We are conducting training courses for referees and judges, as well as coaching workshops to enhance our offering to Thailand’s MMA community. On 29th June, we will hold our National Championships, another opportunity for our athletes to develop their competitive pathways from our national system to the international platform and beyond.”
GAMMA President Alexander Engelhardt, was delighted with the news and sees it as another huge positive step forward for the sport overall. He said: “We are proud of this momentous achievement by our member in Thailand, TAMMA, a country renowned for its rich martial arts heritage and as a hub for MMA. The formal recognition of MMA will safeguard its well-governed development and the distribution of its benefits to communities and athletes.”
