UAE fighters on the move at Montenegro and Los Angeles
It will be another busy weekend for Emirati jiu-jitsu fighters. The UAE have sent a 25-member squad – 18 boys and seven girls – to Montenegro for the U15 World Cup today to Sunday, while another 161 fighters from four clubs will be in action at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Los Angeles tomorrow and Sunday.
The two competitions over the weekend come on the back of the national team’s success at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where they topped the medals tabl.
The Emiratis taking part at the Los Angeles Convention Centre are those who missed the cut for Ashgabat and comprised of members of the clubs at Al Ain, Al Wahda, Al Jazira and Al Nasr. They will be hoping to secure a place at the world championship in Colombia from November 24-26.
“There are thousands of fighters emerging from our clubs and academies,” said Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, chief executive of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF).
“It’s our responsibility to provide them as many opportunities as possible to compete at the international level.” The Grand Slam Los Angeles has drawn some of the martial art’s biggest names, particularly from the United States and South America, all vying for a slice of the US$125,000 (Dh459,000) prize fund and 200 world ranking points on offer.
Igor Silva, Adam Wardizinski, Jaime Canuto, Renato Canuto, Sergio Rios, Fernando Tsushima, Victor Silverio and Nathalie Ribeiro are those expected to enter before the registration closes.
Jessica Dos Santos, the world No 1 and a gold medallist the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Tokyo, headlines the women’s entries.
“The Grand Slam tours are gaining more momentum with each passing year and are cementing the status and reputation of Abu Dhabi across the world of jiu-jitsu,” said Fouad Darwish, general manager of Palm Sports, the technical arm of the UAEJJF.
“The second leg of the tour in Los Angeles promises to be an electrifying night of fighting action.”
Los Angeles is the second World Tour event of the UAEJJF followed by Rio de Janeiro (November 10-12), Abu Dhabi (January 12-13) and London (March 10-11).