Dubai The UAE’s top Jiu Jitsu fighter Faisal Al Ketbi said the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour 2015-16 will give fighters a chance to compete against the best in the business.
“The event provides a great opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the world,” said Al Ketbi on the sidelines of the announcement of the event in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE will send a 14-member team to the World Tour that will comprise four rounds with over 500 Jiu-Jitsu players from around the world expected to participate.
Abu Dhabi World Pro
The first round of the World Tour will be held on August 29 at the Sumida City Gymnasium in Tokyo followed by the Los Angeles event on October 18. HSBC Arena, Rio de Janeiro will host the third round on December 5-6, and the last round will be held in London on March 19-20, 2016. The fifth and concluding event, the Abu Dhabi World Pro, will be held in the UAE capital.
“We have four rounds and a points system and at the end the top ranking will be decided on the points each player has. For us it will also be a good preparation for the World Pro,” said black-belt holder Al Ketbi who will contest in the Open and weight division.
“I would like to win a gold. It will be a good sign for me that we are going the right way. The team is also fit and hopefully we will do well. It is also a chance for us to see new players competing for the national team,” he added.
Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Abdulmunam Al Hashemi said: “The Abu Dhabi Grand Slam represents a new start for the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation towards making it global by organising four tours in significant international destinations where Jiu-jitsu enjoys great popularity. The event will initiate a new phase of shifting the focus from consumers to decision makers.”
“We are already getting a remarkable response from participants,” Al Hashemi added.
