ASTANA: The UAE’s national jiu-jitsu team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Co., made a strong start at the JJIF World Championship YOUTH 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan, clinching an impressive eight medals in the under-16 division.

Ahmed Alshamsi gifted the UAE its first gold in the championship in the 42 kg division. He was soon joined on the podium by Obaid Al-Ketbi, who scooped gold in the 50 kg division, and Harib Alhammadi with gold in the 55 kg division.

In their first international event, the under-16 athletes showed impressive skills and won three gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, providing a solid start to their title defense. Salem Alhamoud (over 73 kg) and Adnan Alzarooni (60 kg) won silver for the UAE on Tuesday, the opening day of the four-day event. Eysa Alblooshi (38 kg), Hamdan Alnajar (46 kg), and Abdulaziz Alakidi (66 kg) won bronze medals.

Host nation Kazakhstan has the highest number of participants, totaling 175 athletes. The UAE, victorious in the last three editions, has 86 athletes, Greece 76, and Uzbekistan 70.

Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri, deputy chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “I extend my congratulations to the under-16 team for their remarkable performance today. They have performed incredibly well despite the tough competition.

“As jiu-jitsu continues to grow worldwide, both the national teams and athletes are experiencing remarkable growth, which intensifies the level of international competition. This positive outcome is in line with the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s vision to promote the sport globally, as evidenced by our hosting of major international events.”

“The UAE National Team is coming off a stellar performance at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Mongolia in July and the Asian Championship held in Thailand in February, where they clinched significant title victories,” Al-Dhaheri added.

“Their exceptional achievements also resonated in the Grand Prix events in Thailand and Paris. These accomplishments vividly illustrate where the team is headed to, and we have complete faith in their capacity to amass more medals and claim additional titles in the times ahead.”

Al-Dhaheri also thanked the UAE’s leadership for supporting the sport over the years.

Alshamsi, who clinched gold in the 50 kg division, said: “While the competition was tough, the feeling of winning today was simply indescribable. I want to dedicate this medal to our leaders, UAEJJF officials, coaches, and all those who lent me their support,” he said.

“Winning this medal means that all the efforts we poured in over the past months have yielded the desired results, providing a motivating boost. Becoming a world champion means I’ll redouble my efforts, draw inspiration, give my utmost, and continue forging ahead. Insha Allah.”

Al-Ketbi, who won gold in the 50 kg division, commented: “Standing on the top spot in a huge tournament like this is a really big achievement for me, especially because I’ve never competed at this level internationally before.”

He added: “We’re super happy about this win, which shows how awesome the UAE is. We’re proud that we could do what people hoped for from our group of champions. And we’re hoping that this win is just the start of the UAE doing really well in the World Championship.”