Al Ain International Jiu-Jitsu U18 Championship Concludes
Al Ain International U18 Jiu-Jitsu Championship concluded on Saturday with Emirati athletes harvesting a huge lot of the medals. The championship witnessed the participation of over 40 countries as the second day provided strong matches amongst young players, who presented a high standard of skills and techniques in various weight categories.
Al Ain club dominated the scene and won the top ranking with 1,733 points via 34 gold, 21 sliver, and 22 bronze medals. Al Wahda Club came second with 1,634 points via 22 gold, 28 silver, and 29 bronze medals. Ajman Club came third with 1,269 points and 8 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze medals. Al Nasr Academy presented exceptional performance and came fourth with 340 points out of 22 gold, 17 silver, and 23 bronze medals.
The event was attended by Mohammed Bin Dalmouj Al Dhahiri, UAEJJF Board Member; Khamis Obaid Al Kaabi, President of Al Ain Sports Club; as well as a number of partners, sponsors and stakeholders.
Speaking about the tournament, Abdullah Al Neyadi father of twin boys who were competing said, "This is my boys’ first participation in Al Ain, but it's not their first tournament," said Al Neyadi, father of eight-year-olds Amer and Ali, who have won gold and silver medals. "The UAEJJF, coaches and technical staff are all working hard to develop and upgrade the game and support the rising talent". Al Neyadi added that "playing Jiu-Jitsu has positively affected the personality of his sons and made them respect their competitors and seek new challenges, as well as grown their self-confidence and respect."
Rashid Khalid Khamis, winner of a 46kg bronze medal, who beat his Canadian counterpart in a great game that attracted the attention of the fans, said, "Today, thank God, I performed well, despite my muscle strain but I managed to get a medal. I’m proud of this win which is the result of training and lots of effort; I will start preparing for the martyr tournament right today."
Ahmed Ateeq Al Shamsi, Regional Manager, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, said, "Jiu-Jitsu has become one of the most important sporting events in the UAE. We have seen a very special championship these past days, amidst great organisation and strong competition amongst rising champions, in yet another illustration of the success and excellence of the UAEJJF. We wish all the players success moving forward, and look forward to more prosperous championships as the UAEJJF always promises."
Al Shamsi added that Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank pays great attention to local sports in general and to the sport of Jiu-Jitsu in particular, and seeks to further consolidate the strong partnership it has with UAEJJF.
The UAEJJF is preparing to launch the Al Ain International Professional Championship on 26th and 27th of this month. In November, the event calendar includes four tournaments.
