This week, Thailand officially recognised MMA as a sport, marking another major step forward in the growth of MMA globally.
This recognition as the national sport was granted by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) and is largely due to the great work of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, the Thai Mixed Martial Arts Association (TAMMA), a member of the World Mixed Martial Arts Association.
The SAT Board of Directors is made up of many notable figures, including Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Suriya Juangroongruangkit as chairman and Dr Kongsak Yodmanee as president. Approval from the MMA was granted at the highest national level and was signed into Thai law on 18 June.
TAMMA is led by General Taweep Jantaraloji (Honorary Chairman), Sirichet Puntipayanont (Chairman) and Achilleus Lali (Vice Chairman). In a statement released on the national accreditation, Secretary General Achilleus Lali commented:
“On behalf of TAMMA, I would like to thank the Sports Authority of Thailand Board of Directors for recognizing MMA as an official sport in Thailand. TAMMA remains committed to promoting and developing MMA in Thailand. To enhance our offering to the Thai MMA community, we are conducting training courses and coaching workshops for referees and judges. We will be hosting the National Championships on June 29th, which is another opportunity for our athletes to develop a competitive pathway from the domestic system to the international stage and beyond.”
GAMMA President Alexander Engelhardt was delighted with the news and sees it as a major step forward for the sport as a whole. He said: “We are proud of this significant achievement by our member TAMMA in Thailand, a country with a rich martial arts tradition and renowned center for MMA. Official recognition of MMA will ensure the disciplined development of MMA and the distribution of its benefits to the local community and athletes.”
