The UAE enjoyed another stellar day at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games as the jiu-jitsu contingent delivered two gold medals and one bronze on Friday.
Mahdi Al Awlaqi clinched the top prize in the men's 77kg category, defeating Mahmoud Jabr of Jordan in the title match.
Asma Al Hosani continued the strong performance, claiming gold in the women's 52kg section after defeating Eonju Im of South Korea.
Al Hosani thus proved her mettle at the Asian level. She had made history at the 2023 Games in Hangzhou by becoming the first Emirati woman to win an Asian Games gold medal in martial arts.
Amaar Al Hosani secured 94kg bronze, defeating compatriot Abdullah Al Qubaisi via repechage.
It took the UAE's medals count in jiu-jitsu to eight - five gold medals, two silver and one bronze - and the overall tally 12 medals, which includes seven golds, four silvers and one bronze.
On Thursday, Khaled Al Shehhi, Ahmed Andeez and Balqees Abdulla picked up gold medals in jiu-jitsu, while the UAE showjumping team grabbed silver in the team competition.
Also, judoka Kazbek Naguchev won gold in the 73kg final after defeating Uzbekistan's Shakhram Ahadov.
Following their stellar performance at the games, Panagiotis Theodoropoulos, president of the Ju-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF), said the team's results reflect the country's position as a global hub for the sport.
Theodoropoulos said "the UAE's continued achievements were the result of long-term institutional work based on a clear vision and strategy for developing athletes", according to WAM.
Change of dates for next Games
Organisers of the next Asian Games in Doha are open to pushing the event back a year to 2031 if the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) takes the decision.
The OCA is considering holding the event a year before each Olympics so that it can also serve as the continent's Olympic qualifiers.
Ahmad Abdulla Al Buenain, chief executive of the Doha 2030 Asian Games Organising Committee, said that the OCA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were discussing the matter.
"The main thing is we at the Local Organising Committee need to make sure we will always be ready whatever is needed and all the venues are ready and all the plans are executed," Al Buenain said.
"We are working closely with the IOC and the OCA. This kind of decision always needs to have a lot of stakeholders, and a lot of reasons behind it."
IOC president Kirsty Coventry has already backed the idea.
