ABU DHABI // The capital city added another fixture to its martial arts calendar crown by being chosen as host of the 2015 International Judo Federation (ISF) World Youth Championship.
The youth event will be staged in tandem with the IJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam at the FGB Arena at Zayed Sports City next November.
The UAE Judo and Kickboxing Federation (UAEJKF) also are hoping the world youth championship will pave the way for Abu Dhabi to host the IJF World Championship.
“We are honoured and delighted to host this prestigious youth championship alongside the grand slam event next year,” said Mohammed bin Taloob Al Darai, president of the UAEJKF.
“It took five years for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to get upgraded to a grand slam and now we have both events scheduled for November 2015.
“We now wish these two events combined as a big step forward to host the IJF World Championship in the future.”
Al Darai said he believes such high-profile events will encourage the country’s youth to take the sport more seriously and allow them to participate in the world circuit.
“By hosting such high-level competitions we are encouraging our youth,” he said.
“As the host nation, we have more chances to provide them the opportunities of participating.
“Judo is quite popular, but it is yet to receive the recognition it needs among the youth. We are trying to inspire them by bringing some of the big events to their homes.
“Those who are in sports are aware judo is an Olympic medal sport and this is an opportunity to produce Olympians.
“This is a message for them to say ‘Here is an opportunity, grab it’.”
The capital over the weekend staged the first IJF Abu Dhabi Grand Slam after hosting Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for five successive years.
Paris, Baku, Tyumen and Russia have staged grand slam events this year, with Tokyo set to host the season finale next month.
“Our grand prix became a grand slam. It gives more credit to the development of judo in this country,” said Nasser Al Tamimi, general secretary of the UAEJKF, of the upgrade.
“Judo already had a very good image in the UAE and this positive image will be even stronger now. It will bring more people to our dojos.
“Of course, it puts more responsibilities on our shoulders, but we are ready for that. We want to offer a real grand slam standard.”
apassela@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Jawan
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Company%20Profile
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
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- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
