ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship began on Sunday night at Mubadala Arena with the participation of leading local and international clubs and academies.
The tournament is a part of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship which will run until Nov. 22 and have 10,000 athletes from over 130 countries taking part.
Yesterday’s competitions were dedicated to athletes aged 10 to 17 across the grey, yellow, orange and green belt divisions.
The 17th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Batran, UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation board member, said: “Today showed how much the championship has evolved in terms of organization and technical level. We saw strong and advanced performances from youth athletes.”
“The wide international participation today shows the championship’s strong position on the international jiu-jitsu calendar and the great level of confidence that international sports communities have in Abu Dhabi’s organizational and technical capabilities.”
Redha Monfaredi, vice president of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union, said: “The tournament has over the years helped raise the level of the sport around the world.
“The UAE is strongly recognized for its constant support in developing jiu-jitsu at regional and international levels. Today, we see many participants from all age groups, including top professional athletes.”
Fernando Almeida, from the coaching staff at UFC Gym Middle East, said: “This is our third time taking part in this important championship, and it is the first time for several of our athletes.
“Our team has 16 male and female athletes, and we see this as a great chance for them to compete against strong talent from around the world,” he added.
“We hope they gain more competitive experience and confidence on the mat. Championships like this help athletes develop quickly, as they bring together different skills and jiu-jitsu styles.”
The championship continues on Monday with the youth blue and purple belt divisions.
