Bhutanese Coaches Take Part in Asia’s First OCA–AMMA Programme
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), in collaboration with the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Association (AMMA), has officially launched the 1st Coaches & Referees Development Programme in Bahrain, a landmark initiative for combat sports in Asia. The programme, held from 25th to 27th August 2025, brings together 107 participants (56 coaches and 51 referees) from 30 Asian National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for three days of learning, sharing, and skill development under the guidance of 10 expert instructors.
The sessions focus on scoring methods, referee commands, training approaches for both genders, and athlete safeguarding, alongside the OCA’s Guardians of the Asian Games series covering anti-doping and the prevention of competition manipulation. This milestone initiative comes as Mixed Martial Arts prepares to debut as a medal sport at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
From Bhutan, two passionate sportsmen are flying the national flag with pride — Karma Yoezer and Tenzin Drugyel. Both former national boxers, they now dedicate themselves to coaching and building the next generation of athletes.
Karma Yoezer, 30, currently the head coach of Druk Thimphu Boxing Club, said:
“I am truly thankful to the OCA and Bhutan Olympic Committee for this opportunity. This programme is giving me the knowledge and confidence to better guide our athletes. After completing it, I want to share what I’ve learned with the community and contribute to the growth of combat sports in Bhutan.”
Tenzin Drugyel, 27, an ex-national boxer who runs the Boxing Fitness Centre in Changzamtog, Thimphu, shared similar sentiments:
“It is a privilege to be part of the 1st OCA–AMMA programme. The lessons here are eye-opening, and I’m grateful to OCA and BOC for making this possible. Once I return, I want to use this experience to uplift my community and help boxing and combat sports thrive in Bhutan.”
The Bhutan Olympic Committee extended heartfelt congratulations to the OCA for initiating such a timely and impactful programme, noting that development opportunities of this nature are vital for smaller nations like Bhutan to grow their talent pool and raise coaching standards.
For Bhutan, the participation of Karma Yoezer and Tenzin Drugyel is more than just representation at an international programme. It signals a commitment to bring back knowledge, values, and best practices that will directly benefit Bhutanese athletes and clubs.
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