Strong field of 700 athletes for AJP Tour Asia Continental Pro

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the governing body for the sport in the Emirates, and Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) will stage the AJP Tour Asia Continental Pro, which will see 700 athletes take to the mats at the Rashid Bin Hamdan Hall in Al Nasr Cultural & Sports Club in Dubai, across two days of action on Friday and Saturday.

The championship has attracted top-ranked participants, including black and brown belt holders, from several Asian countries.

The Asia Continental Pro will give athletes the opportunity to improve their ranking, raise their fitness and secure their opportunity to participate in the Grand Slam rounds and other upcoming events on the world stage.

Mubarak Al Menhali, Director of the Technical Department of the UAEJJF said: “This strong cooperation between the Federation and Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) is creating a solid base for world-class championships, which contribute to strengthening the status of Abu Dhabi as a home for jiu-jitsu and a preferred destination for elite champions of this sport. Al Menhali stressed that these competitions are also in the interest of the UAE players to compete with international talents and enrich their technical ability.

AJP Tour Operations Manager Rodrigo Valerio said: “The joint efforts between the UAEJJF and AJP Tour contribute towards achieving successes in the sport across the nation and position Abu Dhabi as the largest developer of jiu-jitsu in the world.

The first day of the AJP Asia Tour event welcomes blue belt holders in the juvenile, adult, and masters categories, in addition to No-Gi competitions for purple, brown and black belts, which are limited to the adult male category exclusively.

Day two will see purple belt holders in the juvenile category take to the mats, in addition to the purple, brown and black belts in the adults and masters divisions. The AJP Asia Tour event winners are awarded 1,400 points, which makes it extremely important for professionals.

Meanwhile, Following a safe and successful 12th edition of Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (ADWPJJC) in April, which saw more than 2,000 athletes from over 80 countries compete across four days of top-level action, gaining regional and global recognition, the largest and most prestigious event on the global jiu-jitsu calendar will return for a 13th edition at the UAE capital’s Jiu-Jitsu Arena this year.

With Abu Dhabi having cemented its capability to host major international sporting events safely during the pandemic, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the governing body for the sport in the emirates, has confirmed the 13th ADWPJJC will make a swift return in November.

Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President, UAEJJF, said: “Following the success of the ADWPJJC in April, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation assigned a committee to organise the 13th edition in the last quarter of this year, to provide the world’s best an opportunity to shine in the most prestigious event on the calendar, especially those who were not able to participate in the 12th edition due to travel restrictions.”

“The level of participation in the 12th edition of ADWPJJC underlines its importance to jiu-jitsu athletes around the world. The appetite is as strong as ever and we owe it to the athletes to give them a safe and secure platform on which to compete in the sport they love.

“With the gradual easing of travel restrictions in the coming months, we are optimistic about returning to normal life and welcoming the maximum possible participation in the 13th edition of largest and most prestigious event on the global jiu-jitsu calendar.”

The recent 12th edition of ADWPJJC attracted thousands of spectators from across the globe, despite the event being held behind closed doors, with fans tuning in to the action via the championship’s digital channels.

Recognising the appeal of the championship and the behavioural changes of spectators in consuming their content via digital channels, the UAEJJF, will be streaming the six-day championship on its YouTube channel. Data from the 12th ADWPJC recorded almost 400,000 views and 67,000 hours of watch time.  The 13th ADWPJJC will also be broadcast on Abu Dhabi Sprots TV.