Brazil lead with six gold medals in Jiu-Jitsu

abu dhabi — The first round of brown and black belt action took place on Thursday at the Abu Dhabi World Professional JiuJitsu Championship 2018, with top athletes from around the world competing for spots in the semifinals. The qualifying rounds included male and female competitors from the Adult, Master 1 and Master 2 brown and black belt divisions, with the Master 2 finals also taking place today.

The Masters 2 rounds saw Brazil take the lead with a total of six gold medals, three silver and six bronze, while the United Kingdom came in second place overall with one silver medal and two bronze medals. In third place was France with one silver medal.

For black and brown belt action, the Championship applies a double elimination bracket for the main draw. The bracket system groups countries together, meaning that a maximum of two competitors per country will proceed to Friday’s rounds.

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, said: “The UAE has a long and established record in organising global events across a range of sectors, particularly in sports and economic affairs. This stems from the international community’s trust and support in our nation, which was secured in the days of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

“Today, we have seen more than 120 countries taking part in this international sporting event. The Championship has succeeded thanks to the diligent interest and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who established the UAE as a global hub of Jiu-Jitsu. His Highness has actively encouraged Emirati youth to practice the sport and they have excelled throughout this Championship, where they have had the opportunity to take on the most prominent athletes in the world. This is evidence of the Emirati community’s love for Jiu-Jitsu and its honest competition.”