BANGKOK: The UAE has clinched a 7th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship, winning the title for the third consecutive year.
The national team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Co., was in flying form throughout the event held in Bangkok and grabbed a total of 16 medals — seven golds, five silvers, and four bronzes.
The Philippines national team finished second with four gold medals and two bronzes, while South Korea came in third with one gold medal, three silvers, and four bronzes.
The UAE made a strong statement on Sunday, the first day of the team’s participation, by winning seven medals, which helped the defending champion’s championship run get off to a solid start.
Theyab Al-Nuaimi (56 kilograms), Mohamed Al-Suwaidi (69 kg), and Faisal Al-Ketbi (85 kg) secured golds for the team on day one, while Omar Al-Suwaidi (56kg), Marwa Al-Hosani (70 kg), and Saeed Al-Kubaisi (85 kg) added silvers. Balqees Abdulkareem earned a bronze in the 48 kg division.
Omar Al-Fadli gave the team an ideal start on Monday, scooping gold in the adults 62 kg division in the all-Emirati final, while Khaled Al-Shehhi picked up the silver. They were soon joined on the podium by Hamdah Al-Shkeili with gold and Aysha Al-Shamsi with silver in the 45 kg division.
Shamma Al-Kalbani downed Indonesia’s Ilma Yeni Megawati to retain her gold from last year in the 63 kg class. Abdullah Al-Kubaisi followed in joining the success, winning gold in the 94 kg division, while compatriot Hazaea Farhan scooped the bronze. The UAE’s Mahdi Alawlaqi added a bronze (77 kg) to the tally.
Abdullah Alkubaisi, who cruised past Kim Hee Dong from South Korea to capture gold in the 94 kg division, said: “I am absolutely delighted that I could finally put my hands on the gold medal at the Asian Championship.
“I know this journey has not been easy, but we worked hard and here we are. Nothing matches to winning medals while representing your nation at an international competition.
“I want to express my gratitude to the UAEJJF officials, coaches, technical staff, and everyone else who supported us during our journey. We look forward to more success like this in the future,” he added.
Al-Kalbani said she was glad to have maintained her medal from the previous championship edition.
“Thank God, I was able to retain my gold medal from the 6th Asian Championship held in Bahrain. Overall, this championship was challenging, and we may have faced more strong opponents, but nothing can dent the UAE team’s resilience and self-assurance. As a team, we’re much more inspired to keep up the winning streak,” she added.
Abdel Moneim Al-Hashemi, chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, president of the Asian Ju-Jitsu Union, and senior vice president of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, congratulated the team on a “remarkable” performance.
He said: “We want to dedicate the championship win to the wise leadership of the UAE for their limitless support to the sports and athletes in the country.”
Obaid Saeed Al-Dhaheri, the UAE ambassador to Thailand, also congratulated the team, while Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary-general of the UAE and Asian federations said: “The team is moving in the right direction and their performance level is rising significantly.
“Asian Championship competitions are a great indicator of the team’s readiness for the World Championship in Mongolia and the Asian Games in China.”
Mubarak Al-Menhali, director of the UAEJJF’s technical department, said: “These kinds of accomplishments are not accidental; the team put in a lot of effort and deserved their victory.
“The coaching staff and players had a sense of teamwork, which can be credited for the performance. I want to congratulate everyone for the outstanding results.”