By Frank Bonada
The second day of the 2023 IMMAF Asian Championships unfolded with Youth A athletes vying for a shot at continental gold. Kazakhstan took over Team UAE’s status as the tournament’s dominant force, securing all but two of the available gold medals.
A clear standout was Kazakhstan’s new welterweight star, Chingiz Nurakhmetov, who made a significant statement by defeating former champion Jassem Abdullah Alhosani (UAE). Demonstrating formidable takedown defence, Nurakhmetov neutralized Alhosani’s wrestling game, unleashing a barrage of body strikes that prompted the referee to step in.
A standout from the 2023 IMMAF World Youth Championships, Zamzam Al Hammadi (UAE), showcased her prowess once again. Renowned as one of the most potent submission specialists in the Youth scene, Al Hammadi secured gold with a flawless performance, employing a triangle to control her opponent’s position and executing a kimura to force the tap, all in the first round.
Host nation Bahrain etched history by capturing its first Youth gold medal through Mahamat Youssouf’s electrifying performances in the Youth A bantamweight division. Youssouf’s victory over Bartanbaatar Uuganbaatar (Mongolia) was of particular note, with the finishing sequence featuring a decisive body shot shortly followed by a subsequent rear-naked choke.
Uzbekistan and Lebanon secured the remaining silver medals, while Kuwait made a noteworthy IMMAF Youth debut, claiming bronze. Teams Mongolia, Palestine, and India also made their mark on the medals table.
Day 3 of the 2023 IMMAF Asian Championships will take place on the 13th of December, featuring the quarter-finals of the Junior and Senior age brackets. Numerous returning IMMAF World and Asian Champions are set to feature, as they all look to capture gold on Asia’s biggest amateur MMA platform. Watch each fight live at IMMAF.TV.
