Faisal Al Ketbi and Balqees Al Hashemi struck gold for the UAE on the opening day of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in the Mongolia capital Ulan Bator on Tuesday.
Al Ketbi, the most decorated Emirati jiu-jitsu fighter, overcame Israel's Roy Dagan in the 94kg final and Al Hashemi defeated Anne Custodio of the Philippines to take the women’s 45kg gold.
Saeed Al Kubaisi had to settle for silver after losing to Portugal's Pedro Ramalho in the men’s 84kg while Aysha Al Shamsi bagged bronze, also in the women’s 45kg.
“We are still at the beginning of the competition, and I have full confidence in the ability of my teammates to achieve the desired results and increase the UAE’s medal count. We stand in full support of them,” Al Ketbi said.
Al Hashemi also expressed her delight in winning her first gold in a world championship. “I believe the training camp in Sweden played a crucial role in my preparation for the event, which ultimately led to this impressive result,” she said.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to coach Ramon Lemos, who constantly motivates the athletes to unleash their potential and perform at their best. I can’t describe the immense pride we feel when we see the UAE flag on the podium and hear the national anthem.”
Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, general secretary of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federations and head of the UAE national team delegation in the tournament heaped praise on the athletes for their achievements.
“The number of medals today is a reason for optimism in our pursuit of retaining the championship title,” he said.
“The male and female fighters delivered a wonderful performance, with Balqees standing out as she made history by becoming the first female UAE champion to win gold in the adults’ category in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
“These results showcase the Federation’s success strategy in uncovering talents and nurturing champions with the highest international standards.
“The team had a promising start in the tournament, and we are optimistic about our athletes’ ability to continue improving their performance in the upcoming competitions over the next two days.”
The championship will continue into the second day with men in the weight categories of 62kg, 69kg, and over 94kg, and for women, the weight categories will be 52kg and 57kg.
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.
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
