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.
