The UAE national team continues its brilliance in the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship, winning 12 medals in the youth category

Almaty, 14 July / WAM / The UAE National Jiu-Jitsu Team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, continued its strong presence in the third edition of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship for Youth and Juniors, held at the Almaty Arena in the Kazakh city of Almaty, after its male and female players won 12 medals today in the under-18 youth competitions, with 4 golds, 2 silvers and 6 bronzes, once again confirming the leading position it has reached. To the UAE on the continental scene?

The performance of the national team players in the under-18 competitions reflected the advanced technical level reached by the national team preparation system, after they demonstrated a great ability to read the course of the matches, control their rhythm, and deal efficiently with the equal confrontations, many of which were decided with precise technical details, which led a number of them to reach the final rounds and win medals.

Zainab Al Mansouri won gold in the over 70 kg category, Saif Al Balushi won the gold in the under 48 kg category, Hazza Al Kaabi won the gold in the under 56 kg category, Zayed Al Hosani won the gold category in the under 85 kg category, while Haneen Al Khouri won the silver category in the category under 57 kg, and Khalfan Al Zaidi won the silver category in the category of under 85 kg.

Shamma Mohammed Al Mansouri also won a bronze medal in the under 40 kg category, and Ghala Al Hammadi won a bronze medal in the under 52 kg category, while Ghanem Al Ali won a bronze medal in the category under 52 kg, Ali Al Najjar won a bronze medal in the category under 56 kg, and Hamed Issa Al Maskari and Saif Hamad Al Ameri won a bronze medal in the category under 62 kg.

The tally of the U-18 category raised the UAE national team’s tally in the tournament to 27 medals, with 7 gold, 7 silver, and 13 bronze, after it began its participation yesterday by winning 15 medals in the U-16 junior competition, continuing its steady progress in the lead race.

Fahd Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Emirati and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federations, stressed that the continuous achievements of the national teams are the result of the great support given by the wise leadership to Emirati sports, and its belief in the importance of investing in people and empowering youth, which contributed to building an advanced sports system that achieves achievements and raises the country’s flag in various continental and global forums.

He said that the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation works according to an integrated strategy based on discovering talents in the early stages and refining them through scientific preparation programs, specific camps, and continuous external participation, in addition to careful technical follow-up, which has strengthened the UAE’s leadership on the continent and established its position as a global center for developing the sport of jiu-jitsu and creating its champions.

He added that the under-18 category represents an important stage in preparing players to move to elite levels, noting that the technical and mental maturity presented by male and female players, and the ability to manage fights against strong competitors, confirms the quality of artistic work, and reflects the success of the federation’s strategic plans in building generations capable of competing at the highest levels.

Yasser Mohammed Al Qubaisi, Head of the National Teams Department at the Federation, confirmed that the U-18 competitions revealed the remarkable development in the level of the team’s male and female players, and their ability to consciously deal with rapid changes within the fight, and to maintain focus until the final moments.

He explained that a number of fights were decided thanks to high skill and good investment of opportunities at the appropriate time, noting that the tournament represents an important station for the technical staff to comprehensively evaluate the players’ performance and build on the technical gains in preparation for the upcoming matches.

Zayed Al Hosani, the team player who won the gold medal, said: “We entered the competition with great focus, and we were aware that climbing to the podium requires discipline, adherence to instructions, and good management of every moment in the fight. Representing the UAE is a great responsibility and motivation to continue developing and achieving more achievements.”

The player, Zainab Al-Mansouri, who won the gold medal, confirmed that the competitions required high concentration, mental stability, and the ability to adapt to the course of the fights. She said: “The good preparation and support of the technical staff helped me overcome the difficult confrontations, and this medal represents an incentive to exert more effort and prepare in the best way for the upcoming competitions.”

The championship competitions will continue tomorrow, Thursday, with matches in the under-21 category, with the UAE national team looking forward to continuing to win medals, as part of its efforts to consolidate its presence at the top of Asia.

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