The Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA) is pleased to have welcomed a number of governmental and sporting dignitaries to the GAMMA World Championships Amsterdam 2021 this week.
The latest VIP to be received by GAMMA President Alexander Engelhardt was President of the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC-UCSA) Major General Ahmed Nasser. The two met during Day 2 of the competition, discussing recent developments in African MMA, including the inclusion of the African Mixed Martial Arts Confederation into the AASC and GAMMA becoming the first International MMA Federation recognized in Africa.
The pair also spoke at length about the social projects being undertaken by GAMMA and the possibility of staging an African open event in the coming months. For President Nasser, witnessing the World Championships in person allowed him to see first-hand what GAMMA can do for the sport in Africa.
“Creating a platform to bring MMA to Africa is a huge opportunity across our continent for young men and women,” President Nasser said. “I have been impressed by the enthusiasm and vision of GAMMA and the way the organisation is being led by President Engelhardt.
“It is great to be here to witness this event first-hand. The social initiatives that GAMMA is promoting are hugely significant in Africa and I am looking forward to seeing how the sport and the MMA community will develop on our continent.”
GAMMA invests a great deal of time and resources into making the sport of MMA inclusive and accessible to all, and the development plan for Africa is expected to result in rapid growth of the sport across the continent at the grassroots and professional levels.
Other guests to visit the World Championships have included senior figures of the Dutch National Olympic Committee and the City of Amsterdam.