Recognition for local MMA group

After six years of being on the waiting list, the Barbados Mixed Martial Arts Federation (BMMAF) is now observed as part of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF).

President of (BMMAF) Dr Paul Forte confirmed that Barbados as of today Thursday, August 27, was recognised as part of the world governing body for the sport.

Forte explained that now they were part of the IMMAF, they would seek to boost their membership by generating interest from bodies such as the National Sports Council, the Ministry of Sports and the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. as they sought to attract young members.

“This is an international sport and we could have tournaments here in Barbados and that in itself gives us now the tool to not only market the group as a body, but to start our major recruitment drive of bringing more persons on board.

“What we are actually looking for now is younger members to get heavily involved in MMA. So that these younger members can actually grow the sport and we can have continuity as opposed to older members who would have to resign pretty soon,” Forte said.

He added: “We look particularly at females because IMMAF is interested in growing the sport among the female population, among the young population and to ensure continuity.”

BMMAF is extremely proud to be part of IMMAF with a highly respected administrator and president of the Barbados Wrestling Association Rollins Alleyne as one of the directors. Alleyne is widely recognised for his contribution to the development of combat sports in Barbados and the region.

According to Alleyne, the recognition of BMMAF is an important step in the right direction. He explained that MMA brings other combat sports such as kickboxing, beach wrestling and boxing together. Sharing the same sentiments as Forte, Alleyne said BMMAF should look to attract young people into the sports, particularly those in the schools.

“Definitely we have to go after the youth. That is our plan, schoolboys and schoolgirls, because the level of contact is not that heavy. And not only that but with the BMMAF we will start looking at doing certified coaches and doing courses. Also, IMMAF has a syllabus similar to karate where you are graded for your belts,” Alleyne said.

President of IMMAF, Kerrith Brown, stated that he was impressed with the local MMA and the work it has done so far in terms of collaboration with various partners and associations.

“We have been impressed by the calibre of individuals driving the Barbados MMA Federation, by its work so far and its collaborative partnerships and associations. Through adopting unified international standards and IMMAF’s technical support, the BMMAF has the potential to evolve into a world-class organisation. MMA’s traction and development are growing in the Caribbean and we look forward to seeing the impact of this growth on the wider development of the amateur sport and IMMAF competitions in Pan America,” said Brown who is also a retired Judoka.

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb