ABU DHABI: The UAE mixed martial arts national team continued its winning streak at the IMMAF Youth World Championships after securing a gold medal on Friday, bringing its overall tally to 12.

The host nation has now won four gold, four silver and four bronze medals. The competitions for the Youth A, 16-17 years old, took place at the Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, where Fahad Al-Hammadi defeated Italy’s Damiano Grillo to secure first place in the 70.3 kg division.

“I extend my gratitude to everyone who supported us, especially the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation,” Al-Hammadi said. “The journey toward this tournament victory involved extensive preparations to deliver our best performance, and thankfully, the hard work has paid off, and our team is achieving remarkable results. Thank you all for the unwavering support and belief in us.”

The championship, organized by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation and hosted by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation, is set to conclude on Saturday.

Mohammed Al-Hosani, a member of the MMA committee of the federation, praised the the Emirati athletes for their performances and attributed them to the support and guidance of the country’s leadership, as well as the efforts of the federation.

“The evaluation and selection process for the UAE national team players spanned a full year between the third and fourth editions of the IMMAF Youth World Championships,” he said.

“During this time, five MMA local tournaments were organized, with one of the primary goals being evaluation and selection. Subsequently, a rigorous preparation and a preparatory training camp was conducted for a month prior to the championship to enhance the players’ focus,” said Al-Hosani. “We are delighted to see that the meticulous preparation, selection and training processes have borne the desired results.”

Al-Hosani also congratulated Al-Hammadi for securing the gold medal.

“The whole nation is proud of him. His remarkable achievement brings pride to us and serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes in the country. Such successes showcase the talent and dedication of the athletes and highlight the promising future of MMA in the UAE, in the region and beyond.”

Elsewhere, Alisiia Stoianovska, representing Ukraine, achieved a momentous victory, winning gold in the 65.8 kg division. She expressed her joy and gratitude, acknowledging that the day would become unforgettable in her life.

She said: “Becoming the world champion is a dream come true for me. The journey to this remarkable achievement was filled with hard work, dedication and preparation. There is no resting now. I am ready to embrace the next challenges that come my way.”

Davron Juraev, president of the Tajikistan MMA Federation, said that the championship has been improving each year.

“Tajikistan is participating here in Abu Dhabi for the second year, and we have around 30 athletes. The level of competition, organization and the athletes this year are significantly different. Everyone has become much stronger, and I’m thrilled that we have more countries participating than the previous year, making the competition even more robust and exciting,” he said.

“The championship overall is truly amazing. As the famous phrase goes, ‘sports unite.’ Indeed, it works here because the atmosphere of the competition arena in Abu Dhabi is grandiose. We can see more than 45 countries participating, making it an international and huge event. It’s very pleasing to see the support from the sport authorities and the government of Abu Dhabi,” he added.

Vikram Mysore Nagaraj, the coach of the Indian MMA team, said that his side has come a long way, from winning no medals last year to bagging three this time round.

“Given the standard of the IMMAF Youth World Championships, just to land a piece of a medal here is incredibly amazing,” he said. “We have two bronze and one silver medal so far, and we are trying to upgrade the numbers. We have come a long way from having no medals last year to winning three medals in the first two days. This is a direct indicator of where Team India is headed.”