The two-week Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be held at the Ipic Arena. Silvia Razgova / The National
The two-week Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be held at the Ipic Arena. Silvia Razgova / The National
The two-week Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be held at the Ipic Arena. Silvia Razgova / The National
The two-week Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be held at the Ipic Arena. Silvia Razgova / The National

Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival set to kick off two week event in UAE capital


Amith Passela
  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // More than 7,000 martial artists from over 100 countries will descend on the Ipic Arena for a jiu-jitsu extravaganza until April 23.

First to get on the mat on Monday are the girls from ages five to 17. They will be competing in the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival over two days and more than 1,600 have entered in the category.

A majority of them are Emiratis and graduates from the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s hugely successful Schools Jiu-Jitsu Programme, which has been running for 10 years.

“We are celebrating the ongoing success of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship and looking ahead to the future,” Abdulmunam Al Hashmi, the chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), said.

“Our aim is to leave a lasting legacy for generations to come through the teachings of jiu-jitsu and this championship.

“The championship is not just for the players and fans of jiu-jitsu but is truly an event for every member of the family with activities and workshops throughout the event.

“This edition of the championship is going to be the biggest and best yet, not only for the Federation itself but for players and spectators alike.”

According to Al Hashmi, there will be a wide range of activities and games for families in the Ipic Fan Zone.

There will also be prizes given away during daily raffle draws on the free-entry tickets that include a Jaguar XE and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

With girls as young as five competing, the first two days of the event are set to draw parents and families to fill up the arena to watch their children in action.

“We want to provide everyone with a winning opportunity,” said Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, the chief executive officer of the UAEJJF.

“When you have more than 70,000 children coming out from our school programme, we need to provide them with competitions.

“This number is set to grow and the bar raised every passing year.”

Up for grabs in the two-week long event are 360 gold medals and Dh3 million in prize funds in the festival that culminates with the ninth staging of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship from April 18 to 22.

Jose Junior, the Abu Dhabi based Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, is determined to defend his world No 1 ranking in the black belt category from compatriot Gabriel Arges.

Junior got the better of Arges in their last meeting in the Grand Slam London last month and a re-match in Abu Dhabi will be the climax.

Additionally, the local heroes of the national UAE Jiu-Jitsu team set to challenge the foreign contingent are Faisal Al Ketbi, Yahya Mansour Al Hammadi, Mohamed Al Qubaisi, Dhahi Al Thumairi, Zayed Al Mansoori, Taleb Al Kirbi and Ibraheem Al Hosani.

The festival also provides competitions for members of the UAEJJF and loyalty card holders under the age of 18, plus white belts and those with disabilities and special needs.

SCHEDULE

Monday:

11am to 4pm: Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu World Festival for girls

Tuesday:

11am to 4pm: Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu World Festival for girls

Wednesday:

11am to 4pm: Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu World Festival for boys

Thursday:

11am to 4pm: Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu World Festival for boys

Friday:

10.30am to 5pm: Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival White belt adult and Masters. Abu Dhabi World Parajiu-jitsu Festival.

Saturday:

10.30am to 5pm: Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival Female Masters and Male Masters 3 and 4.

April 16:

11am to 5pm: Abu Dhabi World Youth Championship (girls)

April 17:

11am to 5pm: Abu Dhabi World Youth Championship (boys)

April 18 to 22:

11am to 6pm: Ninth Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship

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War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

About Housecall

Date started: July 2020

Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: HealthTech

# of staff: 10

Funding to date: Self-funded

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
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Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
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Feeding the thousands for iftar

Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth 

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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
  • 2018: Formal work begins
  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
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·         Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO

Bio Box

Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul

Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader

Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Favorite food: seafood

Favorite place to travel: Lebanon

Favorite movie: Braveheart

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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
  • US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
  • Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
  • Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
  • Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
  • Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
  • The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
  • Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

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