UAE eyes World Pro success with Asian Games on mind
WORLD’S BEST JIU-JITSU EXPONENTS DESCEND ON THE CAPITAL
With Jiu-Jitsu all set to make the Asian Games debut in the Indonesian capital Jakarta in August, the 10th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship from April 16-28 will be of huge significance for the UAE fighters, according to Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, chief executive of the UAE JiuJitsu Federation (UAEJJF).
Al Shamsi was speaking on the sidelines of the announcement of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which now boasts of the highest prize money, Dh4 million.
This year’s highlight will be the ‘King of the Mat’ taking place on the event’s official opening ceremony day on April 24. Champions from the previous nine editions will compete for the title and for a purse of $200,000 (Dh734,500).
“The World Pro is just before the Asian Games and it is the biggest test before that. Our fighters know that they will meet some of the best fighters at World Pro and that will be a good test. They all are aiming to impress in World Pro and at the Asian Games with a medal haul.” Al Shamshi added that over 36 countries have officially confirmed to participate in JiuJitsu at the Asian Games.
“The 36 countries participating is highest in any single sport, which is great. We are excited about that and we believe in our players as well. They all want to represent the UAE in a good way and we are supporting them in every possible way,” said Al Shamshi, also revealing that there will be several camps for UAE fighters of all age groups and categories to prepare them well for the Asian Games.
“We want them to be at their peak for the Asian Games and we are confident of the fighters doing well in the World Pro as well. The tournament for the fighters from previous years called the ‘King of the Mat’ will also add more value to the World Pro this year,” asserted Al Shamsi.
Some of the world’s leading professional athletes who will be descending on the capital include Adolf Kaure and Ruben Lemos from Africa, Youngam Noh and Joao Carlos from Asia, Krzysztof Flak and Adam Rardzinski from Europe, Matthew Leighton and Jonathan Satava from North America, Lachlan Giles and Ben Hodgkinson from Australia, Igor Silva and Jose Lima from South America.
Camps for several countries
The event will be broadcast on 20 television channels and more than 2,500 international athletes are expected to participate in the competition. Athletes from Asia will also be taking part in the World Pro and several countries have also requested for camps in the UAE to hone their skills with the Asian Games lurking.
“There are some national teams who will have camps here through the Asian Union. Iran, Indonesia, Thailand are the countries who are willing to train here. This shows the important role that Abu Dhabi and UAE have played in the sport,” said Al Shamsi. More than 9,000 male and female athletes have registered for the Championship.
Abdul Monem Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and Senior Vice President of Jiu-Jitsu International Federation thanked His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for his continued support of sports in general and Jiu-Jitsu, in particular.
“Ten years after launching this event, we feel proud of our successes in spreading Jiu-Jitsu throughout the country, as well as the sport’s regional and global achievements. This sport promotes the values of patience, endurance, discipline and courage. As a result, it plays a major role in building the upcoming generation,” said Al Hashemi.