South East Asian Games

Manipuri nominated as jury member for SEA Games:

Nov 5: President of the Muaythai Federation of India (MFI) Oken Jeet Sandham has been nominated as one of the jury members by International Federation of Muaythai Amateur (IFMA) for the 24th Southeast Asian Games (also known as SEA Games) to be held from December 6–15 at Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

This year, Muaythai was included as a full medal sport for both male and female athletes.

Sandham is also one of the Vice Chairmen of IFMA Safety Committee, World HQs, Bangkok, Thailand.

The SEA Games is a biannual multi-sport event involving participants from 11 countries of Southeast Asia.

The SEA Games are under regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supervision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Sandham's nomination as one of the jury members of the upcoming SEA Games at Bangkok gives a morale booster to not only the rank and file of the Muaythai Federation of India (MFI) as it would once again prove the legality of Muaythai under his leadership in Olympic arena.

Such position would also dismiss those who were repeatedly claiming to be the genuine Muaythai body in India. Sandham has been representing India in all the International Muaythai Championships under IFMA and the 13th Asian Games in Doha where Muaythai was showcased as a demonstration sport.

IFMA is recognised by General Association of International Sports Federation (GAIFS) as the only international Muaythai governing body in the world.

Sandham is the only qualified IFMA referee from the whole of South Asian countries and has been refereeing in various world Muaythai championships and the Doha Asian Games.

Source: NEPS