Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s Under-16 and Under-18 national jiu-jitsu teams left for the Romanian capital Bucharest to participate in the World Youth Cup and the Balkan Open for Youth.
Yousef Al Batran, Member of the Board in Charge of national teams, stated that the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, led by Abdulmonem Al Hashemi, has now focused on its youth teams and practised new techniques to prepare Emirati competitors for international tournaments.
“When we participate in any championship outside the country we aim to compete and acquire medals, especially in light of the emergence of the sport through the His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Programme, which was launched in 2008,” Al Batran said.
Before travelling to Romania, national team coach Ramon Lemos said that the federation was interested in sending more than one team in each category. The country’s athletes prepared for their tournaments and have trained extensively during the last training camp in the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, he pointed out.
“I have been involved in the Jiu-Jitsu Development Project in the UAE for four years and the federation is providing us with the support we need,” he added.
