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The UAE’s boys aged 10-17 followed in the footsteps of their female compatriots with a stunning haul of medals at the Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship - the dedicated competition for local and international youth at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019 (ADWPJJC), which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The UAE won the girls’ contest on day two by claiming a huge 54,320 points, which included 17 gold, 29 silver and 59 bronze medals.
Day three of the week-long ADWPJJC 2019, which runs until 26th April at Mubadala Arena, saw hundreds of boys aged 10-17, from 54 countries and 139 clubs, contest 975 matches in 77 different categories across grey, yellow, orange, green and blue belts in Abu Dhabi - the global home of jiu-jitsu.
With categories split into Infant, Junior, Teen and Juvenile, the UAE claimed victory by claiming 45,384 points or 68 medals, which included 15 gold, 19 silver and 34 bronze medals. Kazakhstan finished second on 22,920 points with 14 gold, 14 silver and 24 bronze medals, while Russia finished third on 20,104 points with 15 gold, 11 silver and 16 bronze medals.
With 959 athletes from 54 countries and 139 clubs in action in the boys Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship, a total of 886 matches were contested on Monday. Kazakhstan led international entries with 134 athletes, just ahead of Russia with 117 athletes. Ukraine was the third most-represented country with 51 athletes.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Al Ain Club, was on-hand to award the winners of the boys’ competition.
"All of the UAE’s achievements in jiu-jitsu are not by accident; our success is down to the great direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the continued efforts of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation. As a result of that vision and hard work, we have great champions competing at all levels of international jiu-jitsu. The UAE is well-known for hosting major global events and jiu-jitsu is a huge part of that," said Sheikh Abdullah Al Nahyan.
"It is wonderful to see so many influential figures from across the UAE supporting the country’s athletes, as well as their opponents from the world," said Mr. Mansour Al Dhaheri, Board Member, UAEJFF.
"It’s great seeing children competing and they always want to prove themselves, especially in the same arena where professionals compete. The youngsters want to prove what they can do - not only for themselves, but to their teammates, parents and schools. They can either break or stand up, but either way jiu-jitsu is good for their self-esteem," said Mr. Mansour Al Dhaheri, Board Member UAEJJF.
Al Dhaheri added that so many boys travelling from 54 countries to compete in Abu Dhabi had helped raise the level of competition and quality on the mats at Mubadala Arena.
"These young fighters are fearsome and eager to win. They want to take the gold medals. They are dedicated and know what they want. It’s not about showing off, all they see is the medal."
Following the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi World Youth Championship, the Abu Dhabi Masters Jiu-Jitsu World Championship returns to Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena on Tuesday. Athletes holding black, brown, purple and blue belts, over the age of 30, will contest more than 700 matches in numerous weight categories.
"The Masters categories feature some of the world’s most experienced jiu-jitsu professionals and practitioners, including famous names from previous editions of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. The Masters is always one of the most hotly-contested categories of the entire week," said Mohammed Hussein Al Marzooqi, Director of Marketing and Finance at the UAEJJF and Director of the ADWPJJC.
The UAEJFF held a Board Meeting today, led by Abdulmunam Al Hashemi, Chairman of UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union & Senior Vice President of Jiu-Jitsu International Federation.
The meeting highlighted 2018/19 achievements, the state of jiu-jitsu in the UAE, the approval of the Federation’s 2019/20 budget, and ways to link all Federation initiatives to the Year of Tolerance.
The Federation’s Board also made several key decisions, including its Vice Chairman Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri taking immediate charge of all future international events hosted in the UAE, and Board Member Yousef Al Batran assuming responsibility for future preparations of the UAE National Team - including athlete selection and foreign training camps.
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