ABU DHABI: The Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship began with excitement at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. The first round saw intense competition from top athletes representing various local clubs and academies, making it a thrilling start to the event.
The opening day featured matches across the U18, adult, and master categories, with 700 male and female athletes displaying impressive skills. By the end of the first day, M.O.D UAE was in the lead, followed by Al Wahda Jiu-Jitsu Club and Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club.
The championship includes a comprehensive ranking system to reward the best-performing athletes and clubs throughout its five rounds, encouraging clubs to invest in talent and register as many participants as possible to ensure strong competition for the title.
Notable attendees of the event included Abdulmunem Alsayed Mohammed Alhashmi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation; Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development; Mansoor Ibrahim Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi; Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director-General of Tourism at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT); Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Customs; Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation; Mohamed Humaid bin Dalmuj Al Dhaheri; Youssef Abdullah Al-Batran and Mansour Al Dhaheri, Board members of the Federation, and Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the UAEJJF.
Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the Federation, emphasized the championship’s role in promoting jiu-jitsu locally and internationally and praised the athletes’ passion and determination.
“Today, we witnessed the passion, determination, and resilience of our athletes, which are the core values of jiu-jitsu. This championship marks a further step in their journey towards achieving their full potential and signifies our efforts to build a healthy, active society through sports, leaving a legacy for future generations,” Al Dhaheri added.
Ariadne Oliveira, coach of Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club commended that, “This championship plays a crucial role in developing the players’ skills by allowing them to participate in its various rounds in a competitive atmosphere. The championship attracts elite athletes, making it a true test of their skills and an unparalleled opportunity for development, resulting in enthusiastic competitions throughout the year.”
Coaches and athletes celebrated the high level of competition. Omar Alfadhli from Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy won gold in the Men’s Adults -69kg category, Dana Ali Albreiki from Al Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club won gold in the Youth Women’s /40kg category, and Andre Luiz De Almeida from Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club won gold in the Masters -85kg category on the starting day of the championship.