Top judo stars to compete in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) will welcome some of the world’s leading exponents of judo when the Abu Dhabi Judo Grand Prix 2013 gets underway in the UAE capital on Friday. Organised by the UAE Federation for Wrestling, Judo and Kickboxing, the event will run until Saturday.

Held for the fifth time, and under the patronage of Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor and Vice-Chairman of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, the event will feature competitors from more than 40 countries worldwide, and offer a rare opportunity to see some of the London 2012 Olympic participants perform in the UAE.

Cash prizes worth a total of $150,000 (Dh547,000) will be awarded at the event, in addition to souvenirs and prizes offered by the Higher Organising Committee headed by Mohammad Bin Thaloub Dari, Chairman of the UAE Federation for Wrestling, Judo and Kickboxing.

The Grand Prix will be followed by the Elite Championship that the event will feature for the first time. To run until November 26, the Elite Championship will draw the participation of more than 1,000 athletes. A number of coaches, administrators and referees will ensure the seamless management of the event.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Chief Commercial Officer at Adnec, said: “We are looking forward to hosting and watching some of the best athletes in the world participate in this Grand Prix. Elite events such as this, held at Adnec, are a reflection of our vision and commitment to attracting events with far-reaching impact on multiple sectors and industries.

“The positive impact of judo on the lives of young people not just in Abu Dhabi but across the world is something that we holistically support. As part of this priority, we continue to work tirelessly with various stakeholders and partners across the UAE to ensure that our facility satisfies the needs of their events and matches the requirements of our fast-developing emirate and its people.”

The 40 national teams represented at the Grand Prix include the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Iran, India, Angola, Ghana, Mozambique, the Republic of Mauritius, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, China, Croatia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Mongolia, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.