ULAANBAATAR: The UAE national jiu-jitsu team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, continued their impressive performance on day two of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, securing four more medals — two gold, one silver and one bronze.
Khaled Al-Shehhi and Hazza Farhan clinched the gold medals, while Shamsa Al-Amri and Mohamed Al-Suwaidi earned silver and bronze respectively.
Al-Shehhi secured gold in the 62 kg category, reaffirming his global dominance in the division and achieving his fourth-consecutive world championship title. Meanwhile, Farhan claimed his gold in the open-weight category.
Al-Amri earned a silver in the 57 kg category, while Al-Suwaidi secured a bronze in the 69 kg division.
On Tuesday, the UAE had won four medals, and with an additional four medals secured on Wednesday, the team’s tally now stands at eight. The Emirati athletes currently lead the table and are well-positioned to clinch the championship title for the fourth straight year.
The championship, held in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, concludes on Thursday.
Mubarak Al-Menhali, director of the technical department at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, praised the team’s performance. “Today, our champions demonstrated brilliant performances against elite international athletes, and the matches showcased a high level of technical expertise. It showed our experienced fighters reaching the podium and making significant contributions to enhance the country’s overall medal tally.”
“The weight categories in which our male and female champions participated demanded a high level of competition, as anticipated by the coaching staff headed by Ramon Lemos. The athletes were trained accordingly, using new methods and techniques to improve their performance, and they strictly followed instructions, enabling them to overcome the most challenging moments in the fights,” he added.
Meanwhile, Al-Shehhi expressed his joy at winning gold and raising his country’s flag on the podium.
“The training and facilities provided by the UAEJJF paved the way for UAE athletes to excel and take a leading role in the sport, boosting the country’s reputation in major tournaments like this. We are eager to learn from this achievement and are confident that it will further motivate us to intensify our preparations for upcoming competitions. We promise our fans that we will persistently strive for more titles and bring glory to the nation,” he said.
Farhan, the world open-weight champion, also expressed his delight on taking gold. “Coach Ramon’s instructions were spot on, especially during the challenging final match. I dedicate this achievement to every single Emirati and to all those who believed in our capabilities and gave us the confidence to compete in major international tournaments. We are grateful that we lived up to our expectations.”
Al-Amiri said she was proud of taking silver in the 57 kg category.
“Although I aimed for gold, I am glad about my performance,” she said. “This achievement is the result of months of effort, sacrifices, and diligent preparation. I dedicate it to the wise leadership, officials of the UAEJJF, fans, supporters of the national team, and the people of the UAE.”
