UAE champion Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed Al Maktoum will lead the ladies karate team at the 8th Asian Karate Federation Championship to be held in Chinese Taipei later this week.

The nine-member UAE contingent is expected to leave in three groups today and tomorrow.

Essa Saif, general secretary of the UAE Judo, Taekwondo and Karate Federation will depart early today along with the team's technical manager, Sameer Juma.

The four members of the national squad - Sheikha Maitha, Tahani Al Muhairi, Asma Khalid and Mona Al Gurg - will leave along with national team coach Moeena Jadeed aboard a private flight tomorrow.

Also included as a part of the squad are two referees - Saeed Obaid and Hisham Hasheel - who will also leave tomorrow via Hong Kong on an Emirates Airline flight.

"We're confident about returning with at least a medal from the competition," Essa Saif told Gulf News.

"The UAE team has been in training for the past few weeks and they have peaked well," he added. The UAE team has recently undergone a special in-house training camp with national teams from Turkey and France coming over.

Sheikh Maitha will be participating in the over 60 kgs and open Kumite categories, while also being a member of the Kata and Kumite team championships.

Asma Khalid and Mona Al Gurg will be the other two karatekas for the Team Kata, while Tahani Al Muhairi will take part in the under-60 kgs Kumite.

The actual competition will be held from February 6-8 and the squad is scheduled to return a day later.