Abu Dhabi: Elite Brazilian athletes rounded off a remarkable weekend, asserting their dominance in the Professionals’ division on the third and final day of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour finale in the UAE capital.
In the Club category, the UAE’s Commando Group took first place, followed by Al Wahda and Palms Sports in second and third place respectively.
Men and women in the professional division took to the mats for ranking points and cash rewards as a cheerful audience of supporters and family members watched on. The enthusiasm at the Zayed Sports City’s Jiu-Jitsu Arena peaked when the crowd was joined by Anderson Silva, the popular Brazilian-American mixed martial artist and former UFC Middleweight Champion.
21 gold medals
In the professional competitions, Brazil succeeded in achieving first place as its athletes took 21 gold medals, while the UAE finished in second having secured five golds of their own.
Abdel Moneim Al Hashemi, chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, president of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union, and senior vice-president of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation delivered the medals. The three-day event was the finale of the season 2021 – 2022 tours that took place in Miami, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and London.
“Our men and women performed so well in front of the world’s best athletes. I am extremely proud of their accomplishments,” Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, vice chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said.
Top of podium
Zayed Al Kathiri, a national team player and member of the Baniyas Club, expressed his joy at reaching the top of the podium and earning gold in the brown belt 56kg division, while Asmaa Al Hosani, a purple belt from Palms Sports Academy took bronze in the under-55kg.
“In preparation for the contests, I’ve been working extremely hard,” said Al Kathiri, thanking his technical staff and fans for support and motivation throughout. Al Hosani meanwhile called her result “a beautiful and unique experience”, adding that while she was aiming for gold, it was amazing to compete against such talented players. “I’m looking forward to representing my country and national team in future competitions,” she concluded
