Palms Sports Academy steal show at AJP Tour Asia Continental Pro

Top-level jiu-jitsu athletes put on a masterclass at the AJP Tour Asia Continental Pro – GI, the latest event on the calendar as the continent’s best build towards the 13th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship in November.

Organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the governing body for the sport in the Emirates, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Jiu- Jitsu Pro (AJP) and Dubai Sports Council, the AJP Tour Asia Continental Pro – GI, attracted the best blue belts in juvenile, adult and masters’ categories, while bringing together the best adult male purple, brown and black belts for competition without their GI – the usual jiu-jitsu suit.

Around 700 athletes participated in the event held at the Rashid Bin Hamdan Hall in Al Nasr Cultural and Sports Club, Dubai, across two days.

Top-ranked participants, including black and brown belt holders, from several Asian countries also competed in the championship.

The championship was held in the presence of Brigadier Expert Ali Hassan Al Mutawa, Assistant Director-General of Dubai Civil Defence for Fire and rescue Affairs, and two of his team members, in honour of Dubai Civil Defence’s response in tackling an explosion onboard a ship in Jebel Ali Port, last Wednesday. UAEJJF recognised the work of the rescue teams in saving lives and properties.

Day one of the championship at Al Nasr Club in Dubai, saw Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club take first place, scoring 32,600 points, ahead of Commando Group (24,200 points), with Al Jazira Club third with 19,440 points.

The open GI competition on day two resulted in Palms Sports Academy taking first place with 5,400 points, followed by Commando Group with the same points, and Kuwait Jiu-Jitsu Academy third with 5,000 points.

Overall victory went to Palms Sports with 58,600 points, followed by Commando Group with 55,400 points, and Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club third with 42,200 points.

Commenting on the tournament, Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “Once again we have witnessed some great performance and excitement with athletes striving to achieve success on the mat.

“Such tournaments establish an important incentive for the players to intensify their preparations and double their efforts in training to prepare for the upcoming tournaments, especially as we are about to host the most important event on the international jiu-jitsu agenda in November, the 13th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.”

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.

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 12th edition of Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (ADWPJJC) held in April had attracted more than 2,000 athletes from over 80 countries, who competed across four days of top-level action.

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 already confirmed the next edition of ADWPJJC will make a swift return in November.

The recently held 12th edition of of Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship also 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 UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (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.

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu federation praised the strong strategic partnerships for Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship in its previous and current editions, underlining the growth of the sport. The strategic partnership further promote the sport locally, ensuring that the public is informed of all developments and results.