ABU DHABI // Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi will be attempting to make it a hat-trick of Masters-1 gold medals on Friday at the ninth Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship at the Ipic Arena.
The Emirati, competing in the brown belt 94-kilogramme weight, is one of the longest serving members of the UAE national team.
Al Hammadi has won this division the previous two years. He was also successful in the white belt in 2009 and in the blue belt in 2012. If he is successful this time, it will be his fifth gold in the World Pro.
“To win every competition is always the goal,” he said. “It’s not only me but all my teammates as well. We have had an excellent preparation camp and we are all ready to strike gold.
“The competition is always tough. We don’t know what to expect around the next corner but we are going with confidence. For me, it has been one of my best seasons. I hope I can round it off with another gold in the World Pro.”
Al Hammadi has enjoyed a hugely successful year so far, winning won double gold in the Asian Beach Championships in Sri Lanka and the Asian Beach Games in Vietnam. He also won gold in the Grand Slams in Tokyo, Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi.
Joining Al Hammadi today on the mat today are Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Taleb Al Kirbi and Zayed Al Kaabi.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Suhail Al Ketbi added a fourth gold to the UAE’s overall haul by claiming the brown belt 69kg Masters-2 from Briton Neil Atkins yesterday.
Al Ketbi was all praise to the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation for the backing they have provided to the Emiratis.
“We wouldn’t have achieved this without the support of our federation,” he said. “They have helped us to build our confidence and match our own levels with the elite players from Brazil, Russia and the United States of America.
“We are now competing in world circuit and are excelling and winning medals. This is great for us, and great for the development of jiu-jitsu in the UAE.”
apassela@thenational.ae
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