Manama, Bahrain, August 25, 2025: Director General of the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA), Galastein Tan, expressed his gratitude to the OCA for including the sport in three key regional multi-sports events, including the flagship Asian Games, in the near future.
For the first time MMA will be a medal sport at the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Riyadh 2026, and the 3rd Asian Youth Games, Bahrain 2025.
“We are a young federation, established in 2022, and since then MMA has proudly been included in the Asian Youth Games this October in Bahrain, AIMAG next year, and most recently, the Asian Games. Participation in these events will be great for the sport and we are thankful to the OCA for making this happen,” Tan said.
The AMMA Director General was speaking at the opening ceremony for the 1stOCA-AMMA Development Programme for Coaches and Referees on Monday, August 25, at the Bahrain Conference Centre in Manama.
In May, the OCA confirmed that MMA will appear in the Asian Games for the first time in history. It will be a discipline under combat sports and feature six events – four men and two women.
Thankful for the international platform, Tan also lauded the OCA for taking the initiative to hold this development camp for technical officials and coaches.
“I would like to sincerely thank Captain Husain Al Musallam (OCA Director General) and Wissam (Trkmani, OCA Director NOC Relations and Development), for making this happen,” Tan noted.
“Martial arts have a long and rich history in Asia, and over the years, they have continued to evolve. Today, Mixed Martial Arts has grown into a global sport, embraced by both adults and youth alike.
“As Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Sport has the power to inspire and unite people.’ That spirit is at the heart of what we aim to achieve here.
"We hope this programme will foster lasting friendships, respect, excellence and empower you (coaches) to guide and motivate your athletes, to help them succeed and bring honour to their nations,” Tan added.
