Omar Al Fadhli completed a memorable double gold and in the process was elevated to black belt on the podium on the penultimate day of the 13th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
The 21-year-old Emirati, widely regarded as heir to the throne of the UAE’s most decorated jiu-jitsu fighter Faisal Al Ketbi, clinched his second gold in as many weeks with a 6-3 victory over Brazilian Leonardo Mario at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena at Zayed Sports City on Thursday.
Having clinched gold at the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation’s World Championship at the same venue last week, Al Fadhli produced another masterclass to take the brown belt 62-kilogram weight.
“I have been longing for this day ever since I started my journey in jiu-jitsu at the age of 12,” Al Fadhli told The National.
“It’s one of the most memorable days in my life. To receive the black belt is a milestone in my career but having achieved that tonight I have to take my game to the next level, which means more hard work ahead.
“I love this, though. I have fulfilled one part of my journey after deciding to pursue full time in jiu-jitsu. The federation has backed me all the way through.”
Al Fadhli has now become the youngest jiu-jitsu black belt in the Middle East and was also the first Emirati to receive a professional contract in December 2018.
“To win another gold medal in this remarkable championship is very special,” Al Fadhli added.
“The best feeling any athlete can have is carrying their country’s flag on the podium and I’m honoured to have been able to do that. And to then be awarded with the black belt, it really doesn’t get much better.
“I have trained exceptionally hard for this moment and gained a lot of experience during previous championships such as the Asian Championship and World Championship that brought me to this point.
“This gold is the pinnacle of my career to date as it is my first and as it turns out, the last with a brown belt.”
The UAE national team’s Brazilian head coach Ramon Lemos presented the black belt to Al Fadhli soon after he received the gold medal on the podium.
“I couldn’t be happier for Omar. He thoroughly deserves his black belt,” Lemos said.
“He has worked incredibly hard, has improved his technical ability and his dedication is there for all to see. The way he approached this week and studying his opponents is a great lesson to the youngsters coming through.”
Abdulmunam Al Hashemi, chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said Al Fadhli’s achievement was largely due to the school jiu-jitsu programme launched by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
“It is the best programme for the dissemination and development of the game, as the foundation for discovering, refining and creating heroes of UAE jiu-jitsu.
“We take this opportunity to thank our partners in schools, families, sponsors and supporters, because what Omar has achieved is an achievement for every Emirati citizen and a badge of pride that makes him a role model for all players from future generations.
“This achievement is a success for the school programme, which now has 180,000 male and female athletes.
“Undoubtedly, reaching the black belt stage in the sport of jiu-jitsu is the dream of every professional player, and this journey may take years, but Omar shortened the time thanks to his diligence to be one of the youngest players in the history of this sport.”
Match info
Uefa Nations League Group B:
England v Spain, Saturday, 11.45pm (UAE)
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
