The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation announced a brand new event to its 2020 calendar at a press conference held on February 29, 2020 in Manama, Bahrain. It was attended by IMMAF President Kerrith Brown, Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation president Mohammed Qambar, MC Mojay Jahani and BRAVE Combat Federation president Mohammed Shahid.
From December 1-5, 2020, the 2020 World Team Championships will take place at Khalifa Sports City Arena in Isa Town, Bahrain. Hosted by the BMMAF, it will be part of the BRAVE International Combat Week.
The 2020 World Teams Championship follows an Olympic format that differs from IMMAF’s World Championships as medals are awarded to national teams rather than individual athletes. The winning team is the one that secures the most victories and competition participation is limited to a total of 16 male teams and 8 female teams.
Following the 2020 IMMAF World Championships in Kazakhstan in October 2019, the MMA tournament is exclusively open to the world’s best male and female teams as per the World Amateur MMA Rankings. Ranking points can be accrued by National Teams across the year from their participation in the IMMAF Continental and World Championships.
Priority entry will be given to the Top 14 National Teams and Top 6 National Teams: If one of the world’s top teams decline, their place in the competition will be offered to the next team down and so on.
There will also be an additional two male and two female Wild Card Teams, which will be selected at the sole discretion of the IMMAF. Each male team will comprise seven athletes with a maximum of three substitutes, and each female team will include five athletes and a maximum of two subs.
Following the 2020 World Championships, IMMAF will invite the top ranking teams to register. The BMMAF will be generously covering the accommodation for World Teams and there will be no Participation Fee for entry.
“I would like to thank Bahrain Olympic Committee President, His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad, BRAVE CEO Mohammed Shahid and Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation President Mohammed Qambar for their ongoing support of amateur MMA and its international development as a sport,” IMMAF president Kerrith Brown said. “The depth of talent in IMMAF competitions is deepening year-on-year and I expect the level of competition to sky rocket at this prestigious world teams event.”
Bahrain has to date hosted three consecutive IMMAF World Championships from 2017-2019 under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad and as part of BRAVE International Combat Week. Team Bahrain currently tops the National Team Rankings for male athletes.
CONAN Daily 