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This year’s Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Children’s Cup, held under the Patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, will see school girls from the UAE compete for the very first time in the history of the one-day tournament on 10th April, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).
600 elite children from 28 schools across the UAE will participate in the Children’s Cup alongside the very best youngsters from around the world, with the ambitious female students from 6 UAE girl’s schools fighting for the very first time in the international tournament. Nurtured through a new schools outreach initiative, the young ladies will be following in the footsteps of UAE World Champion, Shamsa Hasan. Shamsa will be amongst the world-class fighters defending her title this year at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2013 (11th-13th April) and remains one of only a handful of female fighters from the region
Abdulmunam Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation said: “The young women who we see preparing for the Children’s Cup are very passionate about Jiu-Jitsu and show real promise in the sport. Shamsa Hasan is a great role model for these girls and her success demonstrates that Jiu-Jitsu is a sport and challenge enjoyed by both men and women. The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s commitment to the growth of the sport locally means giving both girls and boys the opportunity to test their physical and mental skills. This is very important in securing a new generation of talent.”
Commenting on the introduction of a new generation of female stars, Shamsa Hasan said; “The international debut of local school girls from the UAE competing in their home tournament is a hugely important step for the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. It gives future stars the chance to develop skills and challenge themselves against the world’s best. But the impact can be much wider than the sport of Jiu-Jitsu. It is a further sign of encouragement for any female who wants to lead a healthy and active lifestyle, no matter their interest. At such an age I’d have loved this opportunity. Hopefully the girls will enjoy the experience and more youngsters will be encouraged to take the sport up.”
13 year old Alyazyah Khalfan Alshehyari from Al Reef School said: “I am really looking forward to participating in the championship and competing against athletes from around the world. It is a dream come true to compete on such a world stage and to represent my country. It is a sport that is growing in the world and the region and will only get more popular among ladies after these championships.”
Accompanying UAE school children aged between 10 and 14 years, will be 50 international young competitors from the USA, UK, Brazil, China and Japan who will also take part in the one-day World Jiu-Jitsu Children Cup 2013, a curtain-raiser to the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship taking place from 11th-13th April at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC).
Now in its fifth year, the event aims to deliver an action packed three days of Jiu-Jitsu with an enhanced spectator programme that is free to attend and includes opening and closing ceremonies, sponsor activities, family events, prizes and interactive stands.
For more information please visit – www.uaejj.com
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