Baniyas leads the first day of the final round of the Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Abu Dhabi, October 10, 2017 – Baniyas Club topped the competitions of the first day of the eighth and final round of the second edition of the Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which is hosted by Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, followed by Al Jazira Club in runner-up, and MOD Academy in third place, amid strong competition, an enthusiastic atmosphere, and a record participation of more than 2,500 male and female players from various clubs and academies in the country.
The competitions were attended and His Excellency Dr. Salem Khalfan Al Kaabi, Director General of Operations Affairs at the Department of Municipalities and Transport, participated in crowning the winners. His Excellency Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Registration and Licensing Authority at the Department of Economic Development; His Excellency Mohammed bin Dalmuj Al Dhaheri and His Excellency Yousef Abdullah Al Batran, members of the Board of Directors of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation; Fahd Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, and Dr. Abdullah Al Ghafli, Acting Director General of the Integrated Transport Center; Abdullah Mohammed Al Kathiri, Director of the Operations Department at Aldar Properties, Hadi Al Askari, Head of the Welfare and Community Activities Department at Mubadala Company, Fahd Al Rayes, Director of the Al Najda Branch at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, and Ahmed Al Hosani, Manager of the Dalma Mall Branch at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.

The first day witnessed the holding of fights for the under-18, adult, and masters categories, within the suit category, which concludes the day after tomorrow, Sunday, with the crowning of the clubs that won first places in the overall standings of the season, after competitions without the suit had concluded in the last round with the Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club winning the title.
His Excellency Mohammed bin Dalmuj Al Dhaheri, a member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said that the first day of the final round embodies the true picture of the development of the game in the country and confirms the high technical level and great commitment of players, coaches and clubs, and that the tournament has become a major station in creating champions.
He added that organizing the tournament over three days gives each age group its full opportunity to compete and give its best, and reinforces the principle of continuity and technical development for the players, which we are keen on every season.
The Mubadala Arena witnessed a remarkable crowd attendance to support the players in matches characterized by club and excitement, especially in the confrontations of major clubs such as Al Ain, Sharjah Self-Defense Sports, and Baniyas.

Families were keen to follow their children through the first rounds, benefiting from the accompanying entertainment activities held in cooperation with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, which include interactive and community activities that continue until the end of the tournament.
Abdullah Mohammed Al Kathiri, Director of Operations at Aldar Properties, said: “I have been practicing jiu-jitsu for four years, and I follow the extent of development achieved by the game in the country, in terms of organizing tournaments, spread, and volume of participation. He expects further growth as it is the national game in the Emirates. He added that it is wonderful to benefit from the great benefits that jiu-jitsu offers.”
Mohammed Al Ketbi, the Baniyas Club player who won the gold medal in the adult category – under 62 kg, said: “I participated in all rounds of the tournament, with and without the suit, and I now have 6 golds and 2 silvers… The competitions were very strong, and this is something to be expected, so the training was intense over the past period, as we trained 3 times a day with two jiu-jitsu sessions and a fitness session.”
The competitions will continue tomorrow on its second day, with fights in the U-14 and U-16 categories, and the tournament will conclude next Sunday with competitions for the younger age groups, U-12.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter