At a special ceremony chaired by Mr. Liu Jingmin and SportAccord President Mr. Hein Verbruggen, the 2010 SportAccord Combat Games Mascot came to life.

Lovingly named Dong Dong, the mascot pays tribute to two essential elements of the Chinese culture. Its name, Dong Dong, is a reminder of the sound of the traditional drum, which is widely used in Chinese martial arts.

Its shape, that of the tiger, not only refers to the name of the ancient Chinese warriors but also pays tribute to the 2010 Chinese zodiac sign.

The 1st SportAccord Combat Games will be celebrated in the year of the Tiger, characterised by its courage and competitiveness.

IFMA was represented by the General Secretary at the ceremony. The muaythai Dong Dong is characterised by his mongkol and prajiads which are an important part of both ancient and modern muaythai.

2nd Technical Meeting, Beijing
On 29-30 March, the 13 Combat Games International Federations and the SportAccord Coordination Commission met in Beijing with the Organising Committee for the last technical meeting before the start of the World Combat Games. During the meeting, the Sports Technical Manuals covering the sports daily schedule, equipment, training, anti-doping, medical services and field of play were reviewed and finalised together with the IF and the venue managers.

A new venue for the Ring Sports was approved by SportAccord and the concerned IF. The Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium replaces the Beijing Institute of Science. The former Handball Olympic Venue is located on the Olympic Green and can accommodate up to 6000 spectators.
The Beijing Organising Committee is now ready to enter the operational phase, preparing for receiving the thousand participating athletes and for staging the 13 sports, with set-ups ranging from the Japanese Doyho, tatami courts, wrestling mats and rings.
Competition Schedule
SportAccord is pleased to announce that the Competition Schedule was finalised and approved. Competitions will take place from Saturday 28 August to Saturday 4 September included. The Opening and Closing ceremonies will respectively take place on the 28 August and 4 September in the evening.
Ring Venue
Olympic Sports Centre
Gymnasium Tatami Venue 1
Beijing University of Science
& Technology Gymnasium Tatami Venue 2
China Agricultural
University Gymnasium
Wushu 28, 29 Aug Judo 28, 29 Aug Sumo 28, 29 Aug
Muaythai 29, 31 Aug, 2 Sept Ju-Jitsu 29, 30 Aug Aikido 30, 31 Aug
Boxing 30, 31 Aug, 2 Sept Karate 31 Aug, 1 Sept Wrestling 1, 2 Sept
Kickboxing 3, 4 Sept Taekwondo 1, 2 Sept Sambo 3, 4 Sept
Kendo 3, 4 Sept
View the full competition schedule

Welcome to Dong Dong
In the opening session of the 2nd Technical Meeting, Beijing Vice-Mayor, Mr. Liu Jingmin, and SportAccord President, Mr. Verbruggen, unveiled the event Mascot: Dong Dong.

The mascot pays tribute to two essential elements of the Chinese culture, its name Dong Dong is a reminder of the sound of the traditional drum widely used in Chinese Martial Arts. Its shape, that of the tiger, not only refers to the name of the ancient Chinese warriors but also to the 2010 Chinese zodiac sign. Indeed the 1st World Combat Games will auspiciously be celebrated the year of the Tiger, sign characterised by its courage and competitiveness.
Athletes Registration
With the deadline for athletes qualification set on 1st May 2010, IF have now qualified most of their athletes and will start proceeding to the registration of their delegations. Based on the information received from the IF so far, an estimate of 60 nations from five continents will be represented in the 1st World Combat Games.
Cultural Programme
The Beijing Olympic Development Association (BODA) was appointed to prepare the Cultural Programme for the 2010 World Combat Games in cooperation with the Beijing Organising Committee. They will focus on the set-up of a video and photo exhibition, the creation of a Cultural Square at the Athletes Hotel and on the preparation of the Combat Games Forum with lectures by selected speakers on the three following themes:
• The cultural dimension of the Martial Arts and the Combat sports
• The social values and the social contribution of the Martial Arts and Combat sports
• China’s contribution to the history and to the development of the Martial Arts and Combat sports
SportAccord Convention in Dubai
From 25 to 30 April, the annual SportAccord Convention will take place in Dubai. It will be a unique chance to promote the World Combat Games. SportAccord will present the event, along with other SportAccord Multisport Games, during media round-table discussions. The Beijing Organising Committee is despatching a delegation headed by Vice-Mayor, Liu Jingmin, and will hold a promotional stand.
Finally, SportAccord welcomes the initiative from IFMA who will organise Muaythai Boxercise classes on the beach during the SportAccord Convention. The Good Morning Dubai! sessions coached by Stephan Fox, IFMA Secretary General and Muaythai former World Champion, will take place on 28 and 29 April from 7am to 7:45am. Fun and thorough workout guarantied! To sign up in Dubai, the SportAccord Convention participants can visit the IFMA stand (n°A07).