Manama, Bahrain, August 25, 2025: Senior official of the Olympic Council of Asia, Wissam Trkmani, hailed the 1st OCA-AMMA (Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association) Development Programme for Coaches and Referees as the first step in building a stronger foundation for the sport in Asia.
The inaugural three-day development programme which got underway on Monday, August 25 will be an important cross-cultural exchange and deepening of ties between the Asian MMA fraternities with the sport on the cusp of entering the Asian Games for the first time – being a medal sport in Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
With this in mind, Trkmani, OCA Director of NOC Relations and Development, highlighted the importance of this inaugural collaboration between the OCA and the Asian governing body for MMA.
“This is an important milestone in our joint efforts to strengthen the development of technical officials and coaches across Asia,” Trkmani pointed out at the opening ceremony on Monday.
A total of 107 MMA participants – 56 coaches and 51 referees – from 30 Asian National Olympic Committees and across all five OCA designated zones have gathered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manama.
An exhaustive programme of workshops will encompass everything from scoring methods and referee commands to conducting training sessions and coaching both genders.
“You will engage in both theory and practical sessions designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet international standards,” Trkmani said.
The OCA will also conduct its ‘Guarding the Asian Games’ initiative with all participants having to attend Safeguarding, Anti-Doping and Prevention of Competition Manipulation workshops.
“These topics are vital in ensuring that athletes compete in a safe, fair, and supportive environment,” Trkmani noted.
In closing, Trkmani thanked the Bahrain Olympic Committee and the AMMA for their collaboration, as well as the 10 instructors and experts who will conduct the workshops for the coaches and referees.
“I encourage all participants to take full advantage of this opportunity, to actively engage in discussions, and to take the knowledge you acquire here back to your federations, so that the impact of these programmes will spread far beyond this hall,” Trkmani added.
In his address, the President of the Bahrain MMA Federation, Mohamed Qamber, also labelled this programme as a “significant milestone for combat sports in Asia.”
“I’m thankful to the OCA and the AMMA for placing their trust in Bahrain and the Bahrain MMA Federation to host this event,” Qamber said.
