Abu Dhabi: The UAE Jiu-jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the official authority for Jiu-jitsu in the UAE, has announced the return of the international Jiu-Jitsu championship series, the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour 2016-17.
The Grand Slam will be held across five international host cities around the world, namely Los Angeles, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Abu Dhabi and London.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam is open to all nationalities, the medalists will be listed in the jiu-jitsu world rankings and cash prizes are awarded for the top athletes of each division. Top ranked competitors will receive huge prizes at the end of the season, according to the UAEJJF.
“We are inspired by the vision of our leadership, especially His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to advance sports and transform the UAE into a world leader in jiu-jitsu and sports in general,” said Abdul Munam Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-jitsu Federation.
“With the incredible success of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam globally last year, we have received a lot of requests from various federations and countries from around the world to stage the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in their country. This shows that we are on the right track.
“However we have decided to add a fifth hosting city to the Grand Slam this year, which will be in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Our strategic plans for 2017-2018 are in process too and we aim to build a sustainable global sport championship product, not just events. Our partnerships with key partners and sponsors will contribute to the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in the coming years,” added Al Hashemi.
The UAEJJF announced that the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour will be broadcast live by over 10 major TV networks around the world including in USA and North America, Brazil, Colombia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, China, Japan and Asia through its broadcasting partners.
“I am very happy to have competed in Abu Dhabi Grand Slam last year. I was in Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, London and Tokyo, all four of them. I won in my division in all four events as well. This gave me a boost in the ranks and I liked fighting most in the first edition, because it really felt like the World Pro in Abu Dhabi,” said Erberth Santos, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Champion.
“I look forward to participating again this year, I am excited that they have added another event in Abu Dhabi. This is great for us athletes, an event that pays well and everything is organised in the most professional way,” added Santos.
The tournament will conclude in Abu Dhabi with the World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship event in 2017.
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam World Tour Calendar 2016-17
September 3rd & 4th, 2016 - Los Angeles, USA (LA Convention Centre)
October 23rd, 2016 - Tokyo (Big Turtle Fukaya)
November 12th & 13th, 2016 - Rio De Janeiro (HSBC Arena)
January 13th & 14th, 2017 - Abu Dhabi (Ipic Arena)
March 18th, 2017 - London (Excel London)
