IFMA’s 20th Annual General Meeting
IFMA has come a long way from its inauguration in 1993. It all began with a small group of countries who decided to regulate and unify Muaythai towards the goal of achieving highest sporting recognition. The year 2013 will be the IFMA 20th annual congress.

In 1995, the sport’s first success was inclusion as a demonstration sport in the SEA Games, in 1998 as a demonstration sport in the Asian Games, and in 1999 recognition from the Olympic Council of Asia and inclusion in a number of OCA-recognized Games.

A very historic year was 2006, when Muaythai was voted to be included by an overwhelming majority of the world recognised sports into the organisation known as GAISF, today known as SportAccord. Next came inclusion in the TAFISA Games and Arafura Games, full membership in TAFISA, cooperation with the organisations “Generations for Peace” and “Peace through Sport,” and inclusion in the World Combat Games under the patronage of the IOC.

 

The next historic step was the launch of the application by IFMA in 2012 for IOC recognition, and in 2013 IFMA’s achievement was recognition and membership in the International World Games Association.
Many social projects has been initiated such as “Muaythai against Drugs” and “Sport is Your Gang.” Ongoing work included the successful 2013 Junior World Championships, which fostered and promoted cultural exchange and fair play, helping the continued development of Female Muaythai, especially in countries where women don’t always have the same social opportunities as men, and the list goes on.

Today IFMA can look back over 1000 years of Muaythai history, and 20 years of sporting unity and recognition, but there is still so much more to do: Ensuring the continued, healthy growth of Muaythai as a cultural art form, fitness programme, self-defence training, and competition sport.

The agenda for IFMA’s 20th AGM has 36 points to cover, and the Federations Commissions Meeting will take place over 3 days. The future of the sport has just begun.