Tajikistan rules inaugural Asian MMA Manila Open

Tajikistan ruled the inaugural Asian Mixed Martial Arts Manila Open held recently in Pasay City.

Tajikistan had four gold and two silver medals in the tournament which had a field of around 88 athletes from 13 countries.

Kazakhstan had three golds, two silvers, and a bronze, while China had two golds and a silver.

Asian MMA Association president Gordon Tang congratulated those who helped in holding the event.

“I would like to congratulate all the athletes, coaches, referees and hardworking staff as we are excited about the ongoing development of MMA in Asia and beyond," said Tang.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino, who also heads the newly-formed Nasyonal MMA Pederasyon ng Pilipinas (NMMAPP), also thanked those who organized the event and brought it to Manila.

"“We are very thankful to our Asian counterparts, especially Mr. Gordon Tang, for supporting the new amateur MMA sport and for bringing the event here in Manila,” Tolentino said. 

“There are some fine-tuning to do on rules on safety but sooner than soon, guarantees will be in place.”

—JKC, GMA Integrated News