Picture: IMMAF board members from left to right – Stewart Brain (Australia), Wissam Abi Nader (Lebanon), Tom Madsen (Germany), August Wallén (Sweden), Bertrand Amoussou (France), President Kerrith Brown (UK), Vice-president George Sallfeldt (Sweden), Frank Babcock (USA) and CEO Densign White After serving as a board member of the Swedish Budo and Martial Arts Federation for several years, August Wallén was recently elected as its President. The Swedish Budo and Martial Arts Federation is the government sports confederation in Sweden, under which recognised martial arts governing bodies sit, including MMA. As founder and honorary President of the IMMAF, Wallén’s pioneering work in European martial arts has included bringing Muay Thai under the banner of the Swedish Budo and Martial Arts Federation. He notably founded the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF) in 2007 when combating the proposed national ban of Mixed Martial Arts and has served with the Swedish Submission Wrestling Federation. In 2011 he was named Leader of the Year at the Swedish Martial Arts Awards. – Click HERE for more background information. [caption id="attachment_150" align="alignright" width="270"]
IMMAF founder August Wallén[/caption] IMMAF President Kerrith Brown expressed his congratulations: “It’s fantastic that a hugely dedicated and knowledgeable person like August has been elected to this position and we wish him every success with full support. It is great for the IMMAF that our own pioneering founder is now leading the Swedish Budo and Martial Arts Federation. We continue to value highly all the work that August has put in to the IMMAF.” IMMAF Vice-President George Sallfeldt added: “It’s a great acknowledgment of August Wallén’s leadership abilities that he was elected President of the Swedish Budo And Martial Arts Federation. This umbrella federation, that hosts most martial arts, is the fifth largest sports federation in Sweden and the fastest growing. The federation managed to get more than 50 medals at international competitions and tournaments in 2015, which was the best result from any sports federation in Sweden. I believe that August has a great vision for the future of the Swedish Budo And Martial Arts Federation and I’m certain that we, in the international sports community, will see how Sweden will work even harder to develop and better its position.” IMMAF CEO Densign White highlighted that the milestone achievement brings further legitimacy to the impact of MMA and shows acknowledgement for the progressive work of the IMMAF: “I congratulate our honorary president and the founder of IMMAF, August Wallén, on his successful appointment. The IMMAF is proud that one of its own has been able to achieve such high office and this reinforces the high esteem in which our sport leaders are held. This appointment furthermore gives credibility to the sport of MMA and underlines the respect that August Wallén has nurtured over many years at the top of the sport.” For more information on the SMMAF visit www.smmaf.se ]]>
