Mixed Martial Arts in India has received a major shot in the arm with Mumbai-based fighters Shriya Satam (50kg) and Veer Bhadu (80kg) clinching a silver and bronze medal respectively, at the ongoing Asian Youth Games (AYG) in Bahrain. This is the first time the sport has been included at the AYG, and Mixed Martial Arts Sports Federation of India (MMA-SFI) president, Nikhil Kunder, feels the youngsters have proved that India has the potential to excel in the sport on the global stage. “It was a special feeling to see us win medals in the very first attempt itself. Shriya and Veer beat some really tough opponents to create history,” Kunder, 34, told mid-day on Tuesday, a day after the six-player MMA team returned home from Bahrain.

Kunder, who coaches Shriya at his ONE Punch MMA training centre in Kandivli, believes the duo have set the benchmark for India’s senior fighters eyeing medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan (Sept 19 to Oct 4), where MMA has been included for the first time.