Abu Dhabi Crown Prince receives UAE jiu-jitsu youth teams

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has received the UAE’s U-16 and U-18 national jiu-jitsu youth teams who recently participated in the recent World Youth Cup and the Balkan Open for Youth, in the Romanian capital Bucharest where they bagged 22 gold, silver and bronze medals.

Sheikh Mohamed congratulated the champions and wished them further success in keeping the UAE flag flying high across regional and international sports forums.

He expressed his thanks to all state departments and organisations which supported the preparation of the jiu-jitsu teams and contributed to advancing their international level and competitiveness.

The champions expressed their sincere happiness at meeting Sheikh Mohamed.

Attending the meeting were Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, Sheikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, Lt General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, and Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, along with a number of Sheikhs and senior officials.

The U-18 Jiu-Jitsu champions got 13 colour medals, seven of which are gold, four silvers and two bronzes, earning the UAE undisputed lead in the international championship.

Zayed Salem Ali, Saeed Al Suwaidi, Abdul Rahman Haidarah, Khalid Al Shehhi, Khalid Al Awlaki, Hazza Al Qubaisi and Salem Al Dhaheri claimed gold medals, while Saeed Al Suwaidi, Saeed Al Shehhi, Sultan Al Hosani and Hamad Al Qubaisi clinched silver medals. Nayef Al Mansouri and Jassim Al Zaabi won bronze medals.

The Under-16 team meanwhile, impressed at the World Youth Cup, with five gold, three silver and one bronze in a nine-medal haul.

The gold medal winners were Mohammed Al Shehhi in the 38-kg category; Mohammed Al Ketbi (46kg); Rashid Al Shehhi (50kg); Faraj Al Awlaqi (60kg) and Saif Jassim Al Mansouri with weight division of 70 kg. Suhail Ismail (42kg), Mohammed Al-Kaabi (46kg), and Saud Al Hosani (60 kg) took silver, with Hamad Al Shehhi claiming a bronze.

Dhaheri, gold medallist and a member of the medal table-topping UAE Falcons at the Balkan U-18 Open Championship, said: “The tournament was very exhausting, but with the proper preparation and the continuous support of the UAEJJF we had the incentive to go out there and win. We eagerly await the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Abu Dhabi to continue with this approach as we strive for more medal success.”

Meanwhile, The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the official governing body of the sport in the UAE, hosted a special technical workshop for the national team as part of an intense schedule of preparations ahead of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship which will be held this year in Abu Dhabi from Nov.16-24.

The UAE Falcons have enjoyed a tremendous run in the latest tournaments, claiming 14 medals at the Kazakhstan Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix and 11 medals at the fourth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship.

The technical workshop forms part of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation roadmap which will help the athletes to prepare for future global competition.

Abdul Moneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Union and Senior Vice President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation, attended part of the recent September workshop, highlighting the importance of hosting a global tournament such as the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, positioning it as the home of this outstanding sport.