ABU DHABI // Faisal Al Ketbi’s debut in the black-belt division lasted just three rounds on Thursday.
The Emirati will have another shot at a medal when he competes in Saturday’s Open division at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship 2015 but that amounts to a Herculean task.
If Al Ketbi ends the championships without winning a medal, it will be the first time he misses out on a podium finish at the World Pro, now in its seventh year.
Al Ketbi, 27, had a good start in the top tier of the martial art in the 95-kilogram division by winning his first two bouts, against Karol Migo of Poland and the Brazilian Eduardo Inojosa, both on points.
Coming up against Jackson Sousa dos Santos he fell back on an advantage point early in the bout and then conceded a further two points to a pull-down when he tried to make a late rally against the Brazilian.
Al Ketbi won an advantage point towards the end but that was as close he got against the Dos Santos, 25, a multiple gold medal winner in the brown and black belts in tournaments in Brazil, Las Vegas, and Europe.
The Emirati was taken to hospital afterwards but The National was unable to confirm the nature of any injury. Al Ketbi's Brazilian colleagues talked highly of his debut in the black-belt division.
“He may not have won a medal but he’s done well to reach the third round,” said Rodolfo Vieira, the Brazilian who had to withdraw from his title defence in the same weight class because of a niggling back injury.
Marcos Oliveira, the Abu Dhabi-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, said Al Ketbi is a credit to the sport here.
“He should be applauded to what he has already achieved. Whatever he achieves now will be just adding on to what he’s already accomplished for the country, and him,” he said.
“He will learn from this experience. We all know of his work ethics and I am sure he will work his way up and become a force in the top flight in jiu-jitsu.”
Aside from 2011, when he won a silver medal in the blue belt, Al Ketbi has won gold in the blue, Purple and double-gold in brown last year, soon after which he received the black belt.
It was a disappointing opening day for the host nation with purple and brown belts Ibrahim Al Housani (65kg), Zayed Al Kaabi (95kg) and Ahmed Ghuloum (65kg-brown) coming up short.
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