The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the official governing body of the sport in the United Arab Emirates, hosted a special technical workshop for the national team as part of an intense schedule of preparations ahead of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, which will be held this year in Abu Dhabi from November 16-24.

The UAE Falcons have enjoyed a tremendous run in the latest tournaments, claiming 14 medals at the Kazakhstan Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix and 11 medals at the fourth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship, while the youth teams have also claimed a combined total of 22 medals at the World Youth Cup and the Balkan Youth Championships held in Bucharest, Romania.

The technical workshop forms part of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation roadmap which will help the athletes to prepare for future global competition.

Abdul Moneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Union and Senior Vice President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation, attended part of the recent September workshop, highlighting the importance of hosting a global tournament such as the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, positioning it as the home of this outstanding sport.

Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, CEO of the UAEJJF, encouraged the UAE athletes to train harder than ever as they continue their bid to triumph on the international stage. He said: "Our national Jiu-Jitsu team has raised the UAE flag high in international stages, bringing back numerous medals home. This year the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship is hosted in the UAE’s capital and in front of UAE crowd, and this is the time for the athletes to shine in this grand stage competing against the best of the world.

"With the continuous support of the wise UAE leadership and the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, we are confident that the athletes will strive to meet the challenge and raise the UAE flag again at home. We have some incredible talent and they are motivated to win and make their country proud - we expect to see them perform on high levels come the world tournament," added Al Shasmi.

Mubarak Al Menhali, Technical Director of the UAEJJF, added: "Our athletes have the leadership support and the UAEJJF is doing its best to give them the support they need to win medals and succeed on the international stage. We are confident that our athletes have the talents to compete against the best in the world.

"The UAEJJF is organizing training camps with the best coaches in the world to help the athletes improve and prepare fully for the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. Since the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship is coinciding with the school season, we will have a full-time closed training camp in the UAE, which will be the perfect place for our players to reach their optimal levels."

Salem Al Dhaheri, 81 kg gold medalist and a member of the medal table-topping UAE Falcons team at the Balkan U18 Open Championship, said: "The workshop was very important to us as it shows us the roadmap of preparation for the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. We are confident that the training camp provided by the UAEJJF will help us win the gold and raise the flag high for the UAE."

UAE national team athlete Hazaa Al Braiki, who competes in the 94 kg blue belt juvenile category, said: "As athletes, we are doing our best to win the gold on the international stage for the UAE. I am very happy to see my UAE teammates and we are all one family encouraging and helping each other to get the maximum number of medals."

Maha Al Hinnai, who will compete in the Women's 52kg, said: "I managed to bring the bronze medal back home from the recent tournament in 4th Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and the challenge is now to get the triumph at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in November. I will do whatever it takes to win, from training on a daily basis to taking care of my diet."

Shamma Bader Al Memari, a competitor in the women’s 44kgs category, said: "We have a challenge at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship and hopefully we will rise above it and capture the gold. We are all doing our best to win and make our country proud."

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