Mixed martial arts (MMA) has obtained national sport recognition in Thailand by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), due to the work of the Thai Association of Mixed Martial Arts (TAMMA), a member of the international federation for the sport of MMA.
The influential SAT board has Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Suriya Juangroongruangkit as its President with the support of Kongsak Yodmanee as the Governor (both pictured below). With the involvement of these officials, the recognition for MMA has been accepted at the highest national level and was signed into Thai law last Thursday, 18 June 2024.
As an organisation developing and promoting MMA in Thailand, TAMMA has collaborated with a range of organisations to drive the growth of the sport at home and across Southeast Asia. TAMMA’s efforts to harness the social benefits and opportunities of MMA for communities has notably seen the development of its MMA project to Bangkok’s Khlong Toei slum in collaboration with the Fight for the Future Foundation.
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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. 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 29 June, we will hold our National Championships”.
GAMMA President Alexander Engelhardt, 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.”
Headed by President Alexander Engelhardt, the Global Mixed Martial Arts Association is the world governing body for mixed martial arts (MMA), with the vision of developing the amateur and grassroots sport and leading it to formal, international recognition. It provides a global platform for MMA’s participants through the growth of a safe, inclusive and well-regulated sport that serves as a positive force in communities worldwide, and through its organisation of elite amateur competitions.