Pictured: Norway’s Eivind D. S. Kjonsvik (3rd right) medals with silver in the Men’s Light Heavyweight division at the 2014 IMMAF World Championships Following Norway’s breakthrough success at the first ever IMMAF World Championships of Amateur MMA in 2014, where the national team achieved four podium positions, the momentum was halted as Norway were unable to return to Las Vegas the following year for the 2015 World Championships, which took place in July, 2015. Now, the Norwegian national team is set for a return to IMMAF competition when the first IMMAF European Open Championships take place in the UK from November 19-22 at the University of Wolverhampton’s Walsall Campus Sports Centre. Under the guidance of heavyweight UFC & Pride veteran Olav “The Viking” Einemo, who is serving as Norway’s head coach, the new Team Norway lineup will be looking to regain it’s standing following the success of 2014, and Henning Svendsen, President of the Norwegian Mixed Martial Arts Federation, explained that the European Open will serve as a development platform en route to the 2016 IMMAF World Championships. “I have to say we feel it is going to be a blast,” explained the NMMAF President. “It is a young and hungry team, so it will be exciting to see how we will fare. We are confident in our abilities, and hope to be able to perform our best. “If we are able to do that, then that will be an enormous success. If that means we win fights, then that’s great. But as of now, we also focus on the process as well as the results.” A number of Norway’s representing athletes have already began to build their momentum ahead of the European Open with recent strong results under the banner of BCMMA, a standout UKMMA amateur promotion who showcase an exciting line-up of talented grass roots fighters. Henning Svendsen accompanied the team on their journey to compete at BCMMA. “It was Jørgen Indsetviken and Andreas Endrerud from our gym, Hønefoss Fight Gym, that were victorious last time at the BCMMA. Unfortunately, Andreas injured his hand in that fight so he will not compete in the European Open. “We have been at BCMMA four times now. It is a great show. Christopher Cook and Jack Mason are great guys who have a great vision for the show. It feels very professional. They are also sanctioned by the UKMMAF. The Norwegian national team will be working with BCMMA in our preparations towards the IMMAF World Championships.” Sanctioned by the UKMMAF, BCMMA is fast becoming a well established promotion with a host of prominent gyms involved. It should be safe to say that Norway’s success against high level counterparts has already sounded a strong statement of what they could be capable of achieving at the IMMAF European Open. “The victories of our team in the first World Championships shows that we are be able to compete with other nations even though we come from a small country where full contact MMA is not allowed. This time around we have a younger team, but I think they are just as hungry to show the world what they can do. When one of us wins, it will of course effect the group as a whole. We have a very positive mindset going into the Europeans!” The Team Norway lineup includes: Sissel Brynjulfsen – Women’s Flyweight Camilla Mannes – Women’s Bantamweight Markus Haegland – Men’s Bantamweight Rama Jegatheesan – Men’s Bantamweight Ole Johnny Eriksen – Men’s Featherweight Geir Kare Cemsoylu Nyland – Men’s Lightweight Andreas Syse Wallum – Men’s Lightweight Christian Stava – Welterweight Jorgen Indsetviken – Welterweight Marius Hakonsen – Middleweight Adrian Jahre – Middleweight Inge Paulsen – Light-heavyweight For more information on the NMMAF visit http://www.nmmaf.no/
Norway hungry to make a statement at the IMMAF European Open
