Dubai International Jiu-Jitsu Championship kicks off at Shabab Al Ahli Club today

The Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Professional Association’s Dubai International Championship kicks off today and will continue for three days at the Shabab Al Ahli Club in Dubai, witnessing a strong presence of elite Jiu-Jitsu champions from around the world.

The championship, organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Professional League (AJP), will see the start of the competitions for the buds and cubs on the first day, while the second day will witness the competitions for the junior and master categories, and the players in the amateur and professional categories will compete on the third day.

Fahad Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “The championship is writing a new chapter in the fruitful cooperation between the Federation and the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Professional Association, as we witness strong competition between the elite of the strongest champions of the game in the world. We are pleased with the great turnout from various local and international clubs and academies to participate, which reflects its role in testing the capabilities of the players, in addition to its importance in granting the winners of the first places in each category 600 classification points, which enhances their opportunity to compete for the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Award, which adds great value to the championship within the season’s agenda.”

He added: “We are keen to organize tournaments throughout the year and present them according to the highest quality standards. This tournament comes to give players the opportunity to compete in an exciting atmosphere and maintain the highest levels of readiness for the upcoming events, in addition to providing an experience that meets the aspirations of the audience of jiu-jitsu fans and families coming to support their children in this unique tournament.”

For her part, Bani Yas Jiu-Jitsu Club coach Marina Ribeiro said: “We were keen to have a large number of our players participate in this championship in different categories, and we are confident in their ability to perform well and win medals, as they have trained hard over the past period. I would like to thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Professional Association for continuing to organize distinguished championships.”

Al Wahda Club player Hessa Al Shamsi, who competes in the 55kg weight class in the professional category, said: “We are ready to participate in the championship, as we held a training camp two weeks ago to intensify our training, and I expect the competition to be strong. I am fully prepared for the fights and I aspire to win a gold medal and dedicate it to Al Wahda Club and its fans.”