Abu Dhabi: With just a couple of days remaining for the World Pro to get under way, most of the teams have landed in the capital and have started to fine tune their preparations.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, attended the final round of the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival 2018-Kids at a packed Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City.
Shaikh Mohammad also attended the Para Jiu-Jitsu Championship, running along with the 10th international championship.
Among the participants were players from the Kazakhstan’s Alliance Club, led by coach Armazhan Ruzakhounov.
Like most, Ruzakhounov was also hoping that his wards gained as much experience as possible ahead of the Asian Games in Jakarta, where the sport will be making its debut.
“Asian Games will be huge for the sport and hence many teams will be looking to make their most here. We want to win some medals there as we will have a strong contingent. I have two boys and two girls with the national team and one of them is right here,” said Ruzakhounov pointing to Galeina Guvanova, who had won bronze in the Asian Indoor and Martial Art Games in Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, which was the trial Games for the Asian Games.
“It was great to win a medal in Ashgabat so I’m confident coming into this tournament. I had won gold in the Abu Dhabi Festival in white belt category also last year,” revealed Guvanova, who will be competing in the Blue belt 55kg category at the World Pro for the first time and is currently No. 1 in her weight back home.
“This will be a different challenge all together but the tournament will be ideal for me to know where I’m at the moment. I feel confident of winning a medal here and in Jakarta. If I can do that nothing like it. I have put a lot of time in the gym and so I’m better prepared,” said the 19-year-old, who practises Jiu-Jitsu full-time.
Meanwhile in the para-Jiu-Jitsu category 8 for the amputees, Ronald Mann was stretched to the full five-minutes to retain the title which he won at the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Festival 12 months ago.
“He’s a very strong fighter. Last year, I had won the title in just 23 seconds but now I had to battle hard. I thought I had his guard passed twice but he was able to manoeuvre. It was an amazing fight,” said Mann, who lost his left leg in a motorcycle accident in 1995 and then started to rekindle his life with the help of the sport — Jiu-Jitsu.
“Last year, the fighters were hand-picked but now I see new faces. I think we now have people coming down on their own. I had three other Americans travelling with me and it shows how much this competition has expanded.”
Also Brazilian Rafael Rodrigues, paralysed below the waist after the roof of a building collapsed on him 21 years ago, also retained his title in the para-Jiu-Jitsu 17 category on his 39th birthday. Ironically, he defeated the same rival Ramiro Cardoza of Argentina, who he had beaten at the same venue 12 months ago.
