Al Ain Club emerge best at under-18 jiu-jitsu show

abu dhabi — Al Ain Club emerged on top at the Al Ain International U18 Jiu-Jitsu Championship which concluded on Saturday with male Emirati athletes harvesting a huge lot of the medals.

Claiming 1,733 points via 34 gold, 21 sliver, and 22 bronze medals, Al Ain won the title at the championship, which witnessed the participation of over 40 countries.

Al Wahda Club came second with 1,634 points via 22 gold, 28 silver, and 29 bronze medals. Ajman Club finished third with 1,269 points and eight gold, four silver and bronze medals each. Al Nasr Academy presented a good show to take fourth spot with 340 points from 22 gold, 17 silver, and 23 bronze medals.

Speaking about the tournament, Abdullah Al Neyadin, father of eight-year-olds twin boys Amer and Ali, who have won gold and silver medals respectively, said: “This is my boys’ first participation in Al Ain, but it’s not their first tournament. The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), coaches and technical staff are all working hard to develop and upgrade the game and support the rising talent.” Al Neyadi added that playing JiuJitsu has positively affected the personality of his sons and made them respect their competitors and seek new challenges, as well as grown their self-confidence and respect.

Winner of a 46kg bronze medal, Rashid Khalid Khamis, who beat his Canadian counterpart in a thrilling game that attracted a lot of attention, said: “Today, thank God, I performed well despite a muscle strain. I’m proud of this win which is the result of training and lots of effort; I will start preparing for the next tournament right today.”

Meanhile, the UAEJJF is preparing to launch the Al Ain International Professional Championship on October 26 and 27. In November, the event calendar includes four tournaments. The second round of Umm Al-Emarat will take place on November 3 and 4. The second round of the HH President’s Cup will be held on November 23 and 24. And on December 8 and 9, the Dubai International Championships will be held, while the third round of His Highness the Emir’s Cup on December 23.