Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is rapidly gaining popularity in Asia, with the Philippines emerging as a significant player on the mainstream stage.
Recently, the Philippines emerged with a decent finish at the 2nd Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as Annie Lou Parungao led the way with a gold-medal performance, while Maricel De La Torre secured a silver, and Juvanie Bacus and Mcleary Ornido each earned bronze medals.
“I have always dreamed of bringing honor to our country. It has been a tough journey, full of many challenges, but I am grateful that despite these difficulties, I never gave up on my dream to honor our country through the sport I pursue,” Parungao said.
The tournament featured 233 athletes and delegates from 18 countries, including Cambodia, the Philippines, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Macau, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
Other participating nations were India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Thailand.
Kazakhstan topped the medal tally with eight gold, two silver, and three bronze medals.
Indonesia followed in second place with two gold, two silver, and one bronze. Kyrgyzstan took third with two gold and eight bronze medals, while Tajikistan finished fourth with two gold medals.
Organized by the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA), VIP Sports, and the Cambodian MMA Federation, the competition served as a qualifying round for the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), scheduled to take place in Thailand this November.
MMA has been added to this year’s AIMAG due to its growing popularity. Cambodia earned 15 medals in total, including one gold, five silvers and nine bronze medals.
The AIMAG is set to take place from November 17 to 26 in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand.
Originally scheduled last May 2021 and later March 2022, the games were postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
