SportAccord Combat Sport Games Readies in Beijing
By Mike LNg
SportAccord logo
Some big names are expected to be on board to promote the inaugural Combat Sports Games of Sport Accord. Muhammad Ali, the three-time world heavyweight-boxing champion, together with Jackie Chan and Jet Li, will be the faces promoting the first Sportaccord Combat Games 2010, Beijing Evening News reported on Monday.
Sportaccord Combat Games is a new type of comprehensive athletic contest, launched by World Sports Federation and to be held every four years in what I would assume to be a mirror of the old format of the Olympic games. Sport Accord is the successor to the The General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The original GAISF was founded in 1967 and groups together the International Sports Federations and various associations with the aim of defending world-wide sport, becoming better informed and making themselves known, and cooperating and coordinating their activities. International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur is known for their allying with GAISF in hopes of making Muay Thai an Olympic Sport.
The 2010 game will be held in Beijing from Aug 28 to Sept 4. Competition events include wushu, aikido, boxing, judo, ju-jitsu, karate, kendo, kickboxing, muay thai boxing, sambo, sumo, taekwondo and wrestling.
“Athletes applying for the competition all rank in the top 20 for their respective fight styles,” said Li Jinkang, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sport.
At present, 1,904 athletes from 105 countries and regions have already confirmed they will attend. Countries including Russia and Ukraine, which have an established fondness for Sportaccord forms of combat, plan to send large numbers of athletes to the event.
About 800 volunteers will provide assistance at Sportaccord Combat Games 2010. The battles will be held in four gymnasiums across the city, all built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
“The first Sportaccord Combat Games will expand Beijing’s international influence,” said Jiang Xiaoyu, chairman of the organizing committee of the game.
Here’s a video that provides an overview of this year’s Combat Games schedule and organization.
Also Jill Guido will be participating this year as the only United States woman to be represented in her weight class for Muay Thai.
Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/metro/2010-06/29/content_10033180.htm
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The Science of 8 Limbs 
GAISF was an organization ,but now he (SportAccord) is a company. Is it good for sports ? not known yet.
Yeah not too sure myself.
United States Muaythai Federation (USMF) under Mr. Anthony Lin is the official member of IFMA that is making this happen for Jill Guido to attend. I know they are working hard to select top American athletes to go. Initially it was suppose to be Mariam Nakamoto who won GOLD at the IFMA WC but IFMA and SportAccord made the weight change so Jill got to go. Also, rumor has it that Kevin Ross was invited but he was too good to attend such event because there is no purse involved for the fighters.
Hmm that’s interesting because the roster announced some names that, to put it mildly will pretty much outclass everyone:
https://thescienceof8limbs.com/2010/06/17/sport-acoord-beijing-2010-possible-updates-on-some-names/
Not exactly amateurs so I am not sure what IFMA’s objection to Ross’ participation would be.
There doesn’t have to be one remember? It’s IFMA!
It wasn’t IFMA’s objection to Kevin participating…pretty sure he was asked
Pretty sure or not sure?
In any scenario my point stands. There sure is a lot of pros present for an Amateur event.
I just asked Kevin himself and he says he had never even heard of the event until today. So for what its worth he says ‘no’.