Special welcome for MMA team

Manama, May 5 (BNA): Bahrain’s national Mixed Martial Arts team returned home to a hero’s welcome after their impressive show at the Second Asian Amateur MMA Championship in Bangkok. The nationals put on a superb show in the three-day championship and took 13 medals in total, including 5 gold, 1 silver and 7 bronze. Bahrain Mixed Martial Arts Federation president Khalid Al Khayyat, along with Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) sports federations affairs director Hisham Al Baloshi and mixed martial arts director Mohammed Qamber were among top officials in the reception of team members on arrival at Bahrain International Airport yesterday (Sunday). In his statement, Al Baloshi conveyed the congratulations of BOC secretary general Mohammed Al Nusuf to the team and commended their results at the event. Al Baloshi also noted the efforts of Al Khayyat and the board of directors, which played a major part in this resounding achievement at one of the continent’s most prominent mixed martial arts events. Bahrain’s gold medals were won by Magomed Gadzhiiasulov (Male Light Heavyweight 93 kg), Shamil Gaziev (Male Heavyweight 120.2 kg), Pasha Kharkhachaev (Male Super Heavyweight 136 kg), Mansur Magomedov (Male Flyweight 56.7 kg), Shamil Gimbatov (Male Lightweight 70.3 kg). Ramazan Gitinov (Male Middleweight 83.9 kg) gave Bahrain the only silver, while Brandon Tang (Malaysia) and Isa Aldoy (Male Strawweight 52.2 kg), Mohamed Almuamari (Male Flyweight 56.7 kg), Magomed Idrisov and Ali Yaqoob (Male Bantamweight 61.2 kg), Yousif Sayyar (Male Lightweight 70.3 kg) and Abbas Khan (Male Welterweight 77.1 kg) all took the bronze.