UAE tops final day of UAE National Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship
22 June 2025 20:47
ABU DHABI (WAM)The UAE National Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship concluded on Sunday with great success at the Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. The event, organised by the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) in cooperation with the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, ran for three days and witnessed record participation from 1,455 male and female athletes representing 77 countries and over 86 specialised academies.The final day featured high-level performances in the amateur and professional divisions, with the closing bouts showcasing the remarkable progress and global spread of the sport. The UAE claimed the top spot in the overall team rankings with 299,700 points, followed by Brazil in second place with 98,000 points, and Colombia in third with 68,100 points.The matches were attended by Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, and Tariq Omar Al Bahri, General Manager of AJP, who awarded the winners. Since its inception, the championship has embodied the institutional efforts of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and AJP to organize world-class tournaments, offering a professional competitive environment that hones athletes' skills and contributes to their global ranking under the AJP system.Commenting on the event, Tariq Omar Al Bahri, General Manager of AJP, said: 'The UAE National Championship is a cornerstone on our calendar, playing a vital role in building a strong technical base and enhancing competitiveness both locally and internationally. "We thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, under the leadership of Abdulmunam Al Hashmi, President of the UAE and Asian Federations, and First Vice President of the International Federation, for their continued support. The tournament delivered high standards in organization, participation, and fan engagement, underscoring Abu Dhabi's status as a global hub for jiu-jitsu. "We now look forward to the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour, taking place next week in Istanbul, marking a strong start to the new season.'Several gold medalists expressed their pride in winning at such a prestigious event and praised the AJP for organizing competitions of this caliber.Sultan Jabr, who won gold in the professional brown belt 69kg division, said: 'Winning this championship is especially meaningful due to its high technical level and the fact that it's held in Abu Dhabi—the world capital of jiu-jitsu. It's a real opportunity for us to grow and compete with the best.'Ubaid Al Ketbi, gold medalist in the professional 62kg division, added:'The matches were intense and full of technical lessons. These kinds of tournaments are exactly what we need to progress toward professionalism.'Over its three days, the championship featured standout participation across various divisions including youth, kids, masters, amateurs, and professionals of both genders. This comprehensive representation solidified the event's standing as a key stop on the competitive jiu-jitsu calendar.
The jiu-jitsu community now sets its sights on the launch of the 2024–2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour, which kicks off in Istanbul in the first week of July, with wide international participation expected.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Web Release
5 hours ago
- Web Release
Baniyas Extends Lead on Day 2 of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
The Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship continued its fourth round in full force on Saturday, as Day 2 saw intense competitions in the Under-14 and Under-16 categories at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City. The event brought together top talent from across the UAE, with wide participation from clubs and academies and strong support from families and jiu-jitsu enthusiasts. Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club claimed the top spot in the overall standings, followed by Al Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club in second place and Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club in third. Organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the championship continues to reinforce its role as a key driver for developing grassroots talent and promoting the country's national sport. More than 1,800 male and female athletes are taking part in the fourth round, which has drawn strong community engagement and attendance. Day 2 was attended by several dignitaries, including His Excellency Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohammed Alhashmi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and Senior Vice President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation; His Excellency Dr Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri, Chancellor of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities; His Excellency Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation; and Her Excellency Mouza Obaid Al Nassri, Chief Executive Officer of the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development. Also in attendance were Mr. Mohamed Alhammadi, Head of Priority Banking Coverage at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank; Mr Saed Hijazi Salameh, General Manager Sales, Jaguar Land Rover at Premier Motors; Mr Badr Mohamed Al Alili, Director of Procurement; and Mr Fayez Al Katheeri, Director of Facilities Management at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, alongside representatives from the UAEJJF, clubs, academies, and partners. HE Dr Khalifa Mubarak Al Dhaheri said, 'Jiu-jitsu is a national and community sport in every sense. This championship is well-organised and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. The high level of organisation shows how much the sport has grown in the UAE and how well it is received by the community.' HE Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, added, 'The championship is special because it bears a name that is very dear to everyone in the country. The decision by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed to double the prize money made the players more ambitious and encouraged them to aim for top positions.' 'Jiu-jitsu gets strong support from the UAE leadership because it teaches important values and helps shape the character of young people. It has become a key part of sports in the UAE and plays an important role in developing the next generation. 'The championship is a big part of the federation's plan to build a strong base of young talent. The younger age groups are the foundation for producing future champions. The ranking system in the championship helps clubs compete and pushes them to improve and invest more in their athletes.' Among the day's standout performances, Baniyas athlete Salma Rashid Al Mansoori claimed gold in the Girls U14 -44 kg grey belt division. Her mother, Sarah Al Mansoori, said: 'This gold medal is the result of her hard work and focus. Winning in a tournament that carries such a respected name makes it more meaningful. We are also thankful to the leadership for increasing the prize money. It was a huge motivator.' Al Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club's Noura Nasser Al Ghilani, who won the Girls U16 -80 kg grey belt gold, added, 'This win means a lot to me and my team. Jiu-jitsu has given me so much: confidence, discipline, and a drive to succeed. I thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation for the incredible support and promise to keep training hard to represent the UAE internationally.' The championship concludes tomorrow with the Kids and Under-12 divisions, where another strong turnout is expected from the local jiu-jitsu community.
Al Etihad
12 hours ago
- Al Etihad
UAE Balloon ascends in Russian skies
28 June 2025 13:58 MOSCOW (WAM)The UAE Balloon Team is participating in the third edition of the International Ballooning Festival "Air Brotherhood", which kicked off in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod and continues until July festival sees broad international participation, including teams from Bulgaria, Slovakia, Belarus, and Armenia, alongside several Russian Pilot Abdulaziz Nasser Al Mansoori, head of the UAE Balloon Team, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the team's participation goes beyond the sporting aspect: 'It represents a mission to introduce Emirati culture and highlight the deep-rooted relations between the two friendly countries.'He noted that the team presented free aerial shows in the presence of Russian officials and Mansoori praised the attention given to their participation by the Russian leadership, commending the wide public interaction from the Russian people with the events and nightly shows presented by the team throughout the festival. He explained that this participation in Russia is part of the team's second international tour, which began in Bristol, UK, with the aim of spreading ancient Arab and Islamic culture in various countries worldwide.
Gulf Today
16 hours ago
- Gulf Today
City show title credentials with Juve rout, Al Ain sign off in style
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City demonstrated their Club World Cup credentials with a 5-2 victory over Juventus on Thursday while Vinicius Junior starred as Real Madrid beat Salzburg 3-0 to secure a spot in the last 16. Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia beat Pachuca of Mexico 2-0 to pip Salzburg to the last berth in the knockout phase, as Al Ain battled to a 2-1 win over Wydad Casablanca in the day's other game. City became the only side at the tournament to win all three of their group matches as they put Juventus to the sword in front of 54,320 at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, underline their title credentials. City now face Al Hilal, the only Asian representative in the next round after goals from Salem Al-Dawsari and Brazilian Marcos Leonardo against Pachuca. 'We played well and I'm happy with the victory,' said City winger Jeremy Doku, who opened the scoring. Doku pounced for the early opener after new arrival Rayan Ait-Nouri set him up with a clever ball. However City stopper Ederson passed the ball straight to Teun Koopmeiners who levelled for Juventus, in one of the few moments in which Guardiola's team let their focus slip. Pierre Kalulu bundled into his own net from Matheus Nunes' cross to restore City's lead. The Premier League side, hoping to make up for a poor season by their standards in which they finished without a major trophy, stepped up a level after the break with Erling Haaland's introduction. The Norwegian striker tapped home the third and then helped create the fourth for Phil Foden, before Savinho smashed home from distance for the fifth. Dusan Vlahovic netted late on for Juve but it did not take the shine off an impressive triumph for City, who were able to give holding midfielder Rodri a first start after his long injury lay-off. 'Manchester City have a lot better (quality of) players than us, that's the truth, that needs to be acknowledged,' said Juventus coach Igor Tudor as his side finished second in Group G. 'The stars didn't align for us to play better tonight.' Al Ain got the better of Wydad in Washington, DC in a meeting of two teams who were already eliminated but were hoping to sign off with a victory. South African striker Cassius Mailula blasted the Moroccans into an early lead but Togo international Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba levelled from the spot just before the break for Al Ain. The Togolese forward was the UAE Pro League's top scorer this past season. That was their first goal of the tournament after 5-0 and 6-0 thrashings by Juve and City respectively, and Paraguayan international Alejandro Romero Kaku curled home from the edge of the box to earn the team from the UAE victory. 'I think it's a good experience. It was a difficult group, with (Manchester) City and Juventus, but we competed until the end. I think this is good for Al Ain,' said Kaku. Wydad coach Mohamed Amine Benhachem was at the game on crutches following a traffic accident with a team physician earlier in the week. Vinicius stars in Madrid win: Vinicius scored one goal and made another with a touch of class as Madrid saw off Salzburg in Philadelphia to clinch top spot in Group H. Real play Juventus in the last 16 in Miami on Tuesday. The Brazil star Vinicius opened the scoring after a superb defence-splitting pass by Jude Bellingham on 40 minutes, to the delight of the vast majority of the 64,811 crowd on a rainy night at Lincoln Financial Field. Vinicius then set up Federico Valverde with a clever backheel to make it 2-0 in first-half stoppage time. Young striker Gonzalo Garcia ran through to wrap up the win late on with his second goal of the tournament, as Xabi Alonso's team end the first round of FIFA's new tournament unbeaten. 'I am pleased with the boys, and now the interesting phase begins,' Alonso told broadcaster DAZN. Real were once again without top scorer Kylian Mbappe, who has yet to play at the tournament as he recovers from illness. 'We thought Kylian would make it and it wasn't to be. Now we have four days and I want to be optimistic but cautious at the same time,' Alonso said. Agencies
