Four Guyanese excelled at the recently held Ruff & Tuff and TNTMMAF regional invitational in Trinidad and Tobago, organized jointly by the Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Association (GYMMAF) and Fight Central.
Anevia Frank, Carl Ramsey, Shenese Bobb and Ijaz Cave were the athletes who represented Guyana.
Frank made her debut in the octagon and won a gold medal. The GYMMAF commended Frank for her performance, noting that she has earned gold in her debut fight and is a single mom.
Ramsey and Bobb, both Pan American Games silver medalists, earned gold medals.
Cave, who has represented Guyana at the IMMAF World Amateur Championships, also won a gold medal in the tournament.
Gavin Singh, President of the GYMMAF said, “Participating in this event, it’s not going in vain, they just win a gold medal… It contributes to the ranking on the international stage and gives them the opportunity now to be looked at and to be viewed and to be scouted by promotional international promoters such as UFC, Brave FC, Titan FC…”
Michael Singh, President of Fight Central, said he was happy to be part of this initiative and committed to continue supporting GYMMAF and its athletes both locally and internationally.
“This is not our first rodeo. We actually sent Police Force fighters to Trinidad before where Miss (Shenese) Bobb secured a gold medal in her first-ever match. We continue to invest to give our athletes the best opportunity, the best platform where they can excel.”
In conjunction with GYMMAF, Fight Central plans to hold a sanctioned invitational and professional event, assuring the growth and development of MMA in Guyana.
Meanwhile, the GYMMAF participated last week in an IMMAF Coach Education and Certification Course led by IMMAF Director of Development Andrew Moshanov in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
This course aimed to equip coaches with the necessary knowledge and skills to train athletes effectively. A total of 20 coaches were in attendance from Trinidad, Saint Lucia, Antigua, Suriname, Grenada and Guyana.
Guyana’s Corwin D’Anjou, a world-ranking MMA fighter, attended the seminar, showcasing his dedication and commitment to MMA and the development of the sport in the Caribbean region.
The GYMMAF noted that it is “heartening to see that IMMAF is actively working to establish a strong support and education system for athletes and coaches across national federations, which is crucial for the sport’s development.”
“The emphasis on developing young athletes and transitioning them into coaches is a promising approach to ensuring the long-term growth and sustainability of the sport in the Caribbean region.”
