Dh3million prize fund announced for Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Abu Dhabi

The 14th Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Championship has announced a prize fund of Dh3million across the nine days of competition.

Known as the World Pro, the championship is the highlight of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation's (UAEJJF) season with the best in the sport from more than 100 countries in the capital city from Friday.

Some athletes had arrived in the city beforehand to compete in the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) World Championship, which ended on Tuesday with the UAE finishing on top of the medals table with 27 golds, 17 silvers and 20 bronze.

The opening day of the World Pro will see competitions in the youth divisions and the Para-Jiu-Jitsu category with the competitions held concurrently across 11 mats.

Abdelmunam Al Hashemi, chairman of the UAEJJF, president of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and senior vice president of the JJIF, expressed his gratitude to the leadership of the UAE for their constant support.

“The patronage of the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, is a badge of honour for the athletes in the UAE and the rest of the world,” he said.

“We are beginning a new chapter of success as we warmly welcome professional athletes from all over the world to their favourite competition, the World Pro, which starts tomorrow at the World Capital of Jiu-Jitsu."

Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, general secretary of the UAEJJF, added: “Giving the winners prizes with a total of Dh3million demonstrates our dedication to giving jiu-jitsu talents from all over the world the appreciation and encourage them to keep working hard to advance their skills.”

Championship schedule

November 11-12: Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival.

November 13-14: Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

November 15-16: Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

November 17-19: Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship followed by the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards.

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Tips on buying property during a pandemic

Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.

While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.

While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.

Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.

Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.

Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.

Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.

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