Local MMA team to compete for the first-time in Pan American Championships
The Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation will be participating for the first time in the upcoming Pan American Championship in Mexico.
This year’s International Mixed Martial Arts Pan American Championships will take place from June 22 to June 24 in Monterrey, Mexico.
The Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation has selected a travelling contingent eight, inclusive of sport journalist Rawle Toney and martial artists from local clubs.
Athletes were selected from the Phoenix Jiu Jitsu Mixed Martial Arts club, Guyana Police Force Mixed Martial Arts club and the 3ryu Shotokan Karate club.
Gavin Singh, President of the Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation, noted that some clubs were reluctant to exhibit athletes for selection due to unpreparedness.
Singh said, “The preparation of these athletes is a process. It entails individual selection, training mechanism, coaching apparatus, medical and anti-doping training. It is a challenge and one which we will indeed overcome.”
The Federation will make announce the team in the near future.
The team is therefore expected to display experienced candidates.
Beharry Restaurant Holdings under their KFC franchise donated $2M towards Guyana’s participation in the Pan Am Championships.
KFC Guyana, through their Marketing Manager Pamela Manasseh, has promised their continued support towards the development of the sport.
Manasseh said, “On behalf of our KFC management and staff throughout Guyana, we would like to wish the Federation safe travels and many successes in the upcoming tournament.”
“I would also add, that we are a family within a family … we are going to make sure that we cover culture, sport and education.”
The Federation plans to host an open invitation event in the last quarter of this year among local clubs to give athletes an opportunity to qualify for the World Championships to be held again in Abu Dhabi.
Notably, Guyana competed for the first time in the World Championships earlier this year with local martial artists Corwin D’Anjou and Ijaz Cave.
