Merging of MMA Feds Begins -- Federation Focus

(ATR) The International MMA Federation (IMMAF) and the World Mixed Martial Arts Association (WMMAA) are putting into practice the plans reached last month for the global unification of MMA.

The IMMAF and WMMAA are calling on their respective members to notify national federations as to their status under the new structure.

In countries where both federations exist and are recognized, the plan is for the organizations to collaborate. In countries where only one of them is recognized by the Ministry of Sport or NOC, the other is to be absorbed into the recognized federation.

"In facilitating the unification of two organizations in some territories, we aim to bring the strengths and successes of each to the table and help them to negotiate a complementary working structure under one banner," said IMMAF president Kerrith Brown in a statement.

The respective strengths of national federations have been assessed according to IMMAF/ WMMAA membership targets, which follows the membership criteria set at an international level by the Global Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF).

"A huge amount of work has been done to unitе the federations on a national level and speed up the movement towards GAISF and consequently Olympic Committee recognition," WMMAA President, Vadim Finkelchtein said in a statement.

"We expect that each federation - be it an IMMAF or WMMAA member – is willing to find common ground with their past rivals for the sake of MMA."

The initial international opportunities for the two federations to come together will be through invitations to WMMAA members to participate in IMMAF continental championships and courses, in the run up to a joint 2018 World Championships of Amateur MMA in Bahrain in November.

Positive Effects of World Taekwondo Events

A study of the impact of World Taekwondo events in three cities in 2017 is said to show a range of positive effects.

London, Abidijan and Sharm El Sheikh were three cities studied.

In the case of the World Taekwondo Grand Prix and World Para-Taekwondo Championships, the study says the sport generated $1.18 million of direct economic impact for Greater London.

The findings are part of the Global Sports Impact compiled by U.K. – based Sportcal.

Basketball Without Borders Goes to India

The NBA, FIBA and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) have announced that Basketball Without Borders Asia 2018 will take place from May 30 to June 2 at the NBA Academy India.

BWB Asia 2018 provides an opportunity for players ages 17 and under from the Asia-Pacific region to meet NBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches while competing against each other.

This is the second time that the NBA and FIBA's global basketball development and community outreach program has been held in India.

The NBA Academy India will also host a basketball development camp for top local female prospects from May 27-29 for which 20-25 female players ages 17 and under will be selected to attend the camp.

Gender Equity in Surfing

The International Surfing Association (ISA) takes another step forward in its commitment to gender equity.

The ISA announced this week that the 2018 UR ISA World Surfing Games (WSG) and the 2018 VISSLA ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC) will offer equal competition slots for men and women. There will be three slots for both sexes for each of the competing teams at both of the events.

"Promoting gender equity through our events has always been critically important to the ISA and to me personally," Fernando Aguerre, ISA president, said in a statement. "As a way to foster a better world, we are excited to introduce equal opportunities at our flagship events this year."

Gender equity was successfully featured for the first time at the 2017 ISA World StandUp Paddle and Paddleboard Championship, held in Denmark in September.

Additionally, the 2017 Stance ISA World Adaptive Surfing Championship held in November and December was the first to feature separate women divisions, resulting in the first women world champions to ever be crowned in the sport.

World Rowing Cup Opens Season

The World Rowing 2018 season begins next week in Belgrade, Serbia with the World Rowing Cup.

The regatta includes athletes from 42 countries in 14 Olympic boat classes, three international boat classes and four para-rowing boat classes.

The three event World Rowing Cup series was launched 21 years ago. This year, the Belgrade event will be followed by one in Linz-Ottensheim in Austria from June 21-24 and finally Lucerne in Switzerland on July 13-15. The overall winner will be determined after the final event.

Written by Gerard Farek, Javier Monne and Ed Hula

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