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Excitement Building Ahead Of Inaugural GAMMA Asian-Pacific Championships

MMA Athletes across the Asian and Pacific regions have been making their final preparations in recent days for the inaugural edition of the GAMMA Asian-Pacific Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.

 

Athletes from 17 countries will begin arriving today for the second GAMMA continental event of the year, after the European Championships which took place in Georgia in September. Weigh-ins, medical checks, and hydrated testing are scheduled for the day before the official tournament draw takes place tomorrow, as well as briefing sessions on the rules for athletes and coaches, and training sessions for the referees and judges. Action in the ring starts on Friday at the Asian Indoor Stadium.

 

Following the very first GAMMA Asian Championships that took place last year in Kyrgyzstan, these Championships have been widened for 2022 to include athletes from the Pacific region. This expansion has been welcomed by the GAMMA Asian and Pacific Members and is an important milestone for the ongoing development of MMA in both regions.

 

One country that is excited about the prospect of achieving success at these Championships is Indonesia. Prior to leaving for Pattaya, their athletes were welcomed by Indonesian National Olympic Committee President Raja Sapta Oktohari who wished them well and said he would be following their results closely.

 

 

They are not the only ones looking forward to the event, with interest set to be high from a large local media presence that is expected, as well as an enthusiastic local crowd filling the stadium for the three days of competition looking to cheer on their home athletes. Large delegations from Thailand as well as Kazakhstan, Indian and Kyrgyzstan, will be expecting to challenge for several medals and repeat the success of 2021.

 

Some names to watch out for include:

 

2021 World Champion Sandra Succar from Lebanon @sandrasuccar_ (61.2kg MMA)

2021 World Champion Eljan Gassanov from Kazakhstan @eljan_gasanov (77.1kg MMA)

2021 World Silver Medallist Indiyana B from India (65.8kg Striking MMA)

2021 Asian Champion Shah Zaib from Pakistan (77.1kg MMA)

 

The GAMMA Asian-Pacific Championships take place from 9 to 13 November and will feature three days of competition at the Pattaya Asian Indoor Stadium. Qualifying rounds in the ten weight categories for men and seven for women in MMA and Striking MMA are taking place on Day 1 (Friday 11) and 2 (Saturday 12) before the day of finals on Sunday 13 November.

 

“It is fantastic to be in Thailand for the first edition of the Asian-Pacific Championships. There is a great history of combat sports in this country and everybody that we speak to is really looking forward to the event. The team on the ground have been working very hard to make this a successful and memorable event and I would like to thank them, and the authorities for all the support given to the GAMMA family,” said GAMMA President Alexander Engelhardt. “Being able to welcome our Pacific members here is an added boost and I am sure this will be a great event and will prove to be a good model for the future.”

 

The official opening ceremony is set for 12:00 local time (06:00 CET) on Friday, to be followed by the first day of competition beginning from 13:00 (07:00 CET). All the action will be shown live in Thailand on the True Sport 2 channel and streamed live for the global audience on GAMMA’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

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