Mixed martial arts (MMA) have been added to the program for the re-arranged African Games in Accra, it has been announced.
The event, which was set to take place in August but has been postponed to March 2024 due to economic and infrastructure issues in Ghana, will now see MMA joining Esports, speedball, sambo and teqball as part of the demonstration sports announced earlier this month.
They will appear alongside the 15 Olympic sports already announced, many of which will offer Olympic qualification opportunities Paris 2024, and the 10 non-Olympic sports.
“Adding Mixed Martial Arts into the programme of sports is a very positive sign that Africa is ready to welcome the newer sports and those sports that have a great global interest,” Ghanian National Olympic Committee President Ben Nunoo Mensah said.
“There are many youngsters not only in Ghana, but across Africa that are participating in MMA and these Games provide a great opportunity to witness the best athletes in Africa competing in this exciting sport.”
While sending this news to its members, the Headquarter of the International Mixed Martial Arts Confederation (IMMAC) ordered the formation of a working group on technical & financial issues to its African members.
The IMMAC African Technical & Financial Working Group (ATFWG) will start its work on September 12 and by examining various aspects of the 2023 African Games, it will determine the budget for each African country to prepare its national MMA teams.