Abu Dhabi: The curtain came down on the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship with a glittering awards cermony at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr on Sunday.
The evening saw a myriad of awards presented to deserving competitors for their contributions across the 2015/2016 year in Jiu-Jitsu and during the eighth annual Championship, held under the Patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The function was attended by Shaikh Diab Bin Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Zayed Khalifa Bin Shakhbut Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Mohammad Khalfan Al Romaithi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi Police, Member of the Executive Council and President of Police Sports Union, and Jaber Mohammad Ghanem Al Suwaidi, the General Director of the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi and Executive Director - Protocol Division at Court of the Crown Prince - Court of the Crown Prince.
As part of the expanded programme, and new to this years’ championship, the awards ceremony was just one of the exciting additions that has seen the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship bring the UAE and the Jiu-Jitsu world to life. In both the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Youth Championship and the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, more than 6,500 players young and old, from more than 100 countries made their mark and battled courageously for world champion status.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Munam Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and President of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “This is a wonderful moment to be able to host and recognize top talent not only from the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, but also from across the year in sport. It was especially wonderful for us to take this moment and thank the fans and players from across the globe and our esteemed sponsors, without whom we would not be able to hold such an exceptional event. “This ceremony truly was able to give the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2016 a fitting send-off as it once again cements Abu Dhabi’s status as the global capital of Jiu-Jitsu.”
2016 Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards: Nasser Saeed Barshid – UAE National Male Player of the Year
Shefaa Moosa Hasan – UAE National Female Player of the Year
Al Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club – UAE National Sport Club of the Year
Al Maqam School – UAE National School of the Year
Marcos Oliveira – Best Black Belt Master 1 Male Player of the Year
Tayane Araujo – Best Black/Brown Belt Female Player of the Year
Nicholas Meregali – Best Brown Belt Male Player of the Year
Erberth de Mesquita – Best Black Belt Male Player of the Year
GFTEAM – Best International Academy of the Year
