06/05/2016

Sports Minister Meets With IMMAF To Discuss Safety

Sport Minister Michael Ring has met with representatives of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) to discuss regulating the sports' safety in Ireland.

The meeting took place due to issues raised over the death of Joao Carvalho after a match with Charlie Ward.

The Minister sought views from Ieland's Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) representatives on appropriate measures to safeguard the health of participants in MMA events.

The MMA representatives made it clear at the meeting that they would welcome a formal process from which a reputable National Governing Body (NGB) for MMA in Ireland would emerge.

A meeting of the main MMA stakeholders in Ireland has now been scheduled for 17 May to discuss establishing an NGB for the sport.

Minster Ring said: "I welcome the acknowledgment on the part of MMA event organisers that safety standards at their events in Ireland are in urgent need of very significant improvement. I also welcome their intention to engage in Sport Ireland's rigorous process of NGB recognition.

"While the untimely death of Joao Carvalho was a terrible tragedy, I hope that his passing would lead to some good and that lessons would be learned that would ensure that safety standards within MMA are improved to an acceptable level."

(LM)

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