GYMMAF confident in crop of athletes to represent nation at IMMAF World Championships

The Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation (GYMMAF), having hosted a press conference on Tuesday January 18 at the Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue, have given an update on Guyana’s participation at the World Championships of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) in Abu Dhabi from January 24–29.
Sharing the feature address at the simple ceremony, President of the Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation, Gavin Singh, said, “Today we are benefiting from the seeds that have been sown since 2017, and the first mixed martial arts competition was held in collaboration with the Amateur Boxing Federation. The federation has spent the last two years preparing and planning. We’ve seized the opportunity that the pandemic presented to ensure we have gotten our accreditation from the official body.”

Singh noted that because of the accreditation, Guyana now has the opportunity to participate in the world championships moving forward; and in the near future, Guyana would be eyeing participation in the Olympics.

Singh declared that the GMMAF have been working assiduously with the Martial Arts Academy of the Guyana Police Force and with the Phoenix Jujitsu Club to ascertain the quality of athletes that would be sent to represent the nation.
Singh also praised the early vaccination mandate that aided the federation in ensuring their athletes were medically fit in order to qualify for the competition.
“I must also state that our country, the athletes that are representing our country, are not representing our country alone. They will be representing the entire Caribbean; as, of Saturday, we found news that the athletes from Trinidad and Tobago are no longer participating because both coach and athletes have been proven COVID-19 positive. So, as a result, or team is not wearing the team of our beautiful country, but of Caricom”, Singh explained.
According to Sensei Troy Bobb of the Guyana Police Force Martial Arts Academy, whether in rainfall or sunshine, training had to be conducted. He noted that the team has done some indoor training, and congratulated the team for qualifying for such a big leg of the tournament. Bobb posited that the team is well equipped, everything has been poured into its members, and he is hoping they use everything that has been taught them.
Six Guyanese will be among the 529 athletes from 60 countries participating in the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s Amateur World Championships. Renowned Judoka Bruce Fraser will be in charge of the team as Coach, and Corwin D’Anjou will compete in the Men’s Welterweight (77.1kg) division, while Webster Mc Rae will suit-up in the Middleweight (83.9kg) category. Ijaz Cave and Akeem Fraser would compete in the Men’s Light Heavyweight (93kg) division, Christopher James in the Heavyweight (120.2kg) division, while John Campayne would participate in the Super Heavyweight (300kg) division.
Dr Sawan Jagnarain, Executive Member of the Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation (GMMAF), along with Latoya Collins, president of the Guyana Police Force Martial Arts Academy, and Sports Journalist Rawle Toney, will also be part of the contingent that would depart on Thursday January 20 for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Capital.
The event will be broadcast live globally on immaf.tv.