ABU DHABI: The UAE national women’s team stole the spotlight on the second day of the 27th Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, capturing 10 medals, including five golds, in the U-16 division.
As the competitions on Sunday ended at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Zayed Sports City, the UAE squad, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Co., had claimed a combined 19 medals across all categories.
The girls’ impressive display of talent followed a similarly successful performance by the U-16 men’s team on Saturday.
Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, praised the team for its achievements.
He said: “I want to express my appreciation to the girls in the U-16 division for their great performance and good spirit. They put on a remarkable performance today, and I commend them on their amazing feat.
“Overall, the UAE national team is off to a strong start at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship. In just the first two days of the championship, they were able to bring home 19 medals.
“Their great performance today indicates their desire to retain the championship title from last year and to make all of us proud,” he added.
Al-Shamsi noted that big-crowd support had helped inspire the fighters.
Mirzo Ilya, president of the Kazakhstan Jiu-Jitsu Association, said: “It’s amazing to see my team do so well. We are really living a dream; our children are our future.
“Abu Dhabi is like a home to me; they have all the amenities in place, and they have excellent hospitality. I have visited Abu Dhabi several times, and I really enjoy it here.”
Dana Albraiki of the UAE national U-16 team, gave the team a solid start by winning a gold medal in the under-40-kilogram class.
She said: “I can’t explain how thrilled I was when I saw my name and the final score on the screen.
“This impressive accomplishment at the start of my career was made possible by constant training and support from the technical team and coaches. I want to thank everyone who supported me over the past few months and helped me reach here.”
Other winning performances saw Amna Al-Hosani (minus 36 kg), Albraiki, Zamzam Al-Hammadi (minus 52 kg), Alanood Al-Harbi (minus 48 kg), and Haira Al-Daheri (minus 32 kg) capture gold. Shamsa Alameri (minus 48 kg), and Alhanoof Al-MarzooqI (plus 63 kg) grabbed silver, while Mariam Ahmed (minus 44 kg), Meera Al-Hosani (minus 40 kg), and Maitha Al-Mezaini (minus 52 kg) took bronze.
Jessica Henriques, the UAE women’s team coach, said: “Being the coach of the women’s national team makes me extremely proud of our team members. They have performed as well as could have been predicted thanks to their rigorous training and commitment.
“I congratulate the winners and, of course, the officials of the UAEJJF and the players’ families for all of their support.”