ABU DHABI // After a year under the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union (JJAU), the martial art has made it to the 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta.
The decision to include the sport as a discipline was made during a recent executive committee meeting of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at Jakarta, Indonesia.
A significant role in the rise of the sport can be linked to the UAE as the president and the general secretary of the JJAU respectively are Emiratis Abdulmonem Al Hashmi and Fahad Ali Al Shamsi.
The JJAU have already garnered the support of 33 countries and this is set to increase to 45 ahead of the Asian Games.
“Whatever we achieved over the one year is the result of the hard work and the backing from our member federations in Asia,” said Al Shamsi, who is also the chief executive of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation.
“Obviously we are proud and excited but it also means more work ahead. Our first task is to prepare for our first appearance at the Asian Games from now on.
“We are planning to stage the first Asian Championship under the JJAU around October as a forerunner to the Games in Jakarta. The idea is to provide the organising country, to rehearse ahead of the Asian Games ...
“When Abdulmonem Al Hashemi was elected as president of the JJAU he made a pledge to take jiu-jitsu to the highest level like any other sport.
“He has succeeded in taking jiu-jitsu to the Asian Games, and the long-term objective is the Olympics.
“However, for now our focus is to make a big impression at the Asian Games.”
According to Al Shamsi, jiu-jitsu has been practised all over Asia under different rules and schools. The JJAU has now brought a majority of them together.
“We are still trying to bring those countries’ federations under one roof to follow the same rules laid out by the JJAU.
“We are hopeful they will eventually join the mainstream and compete for an Asian Games medal,” he said.
Al Shamsi said he believes in the potential importance of the sport to young Emiratis.
“The impact jiu-jitsu has made in the country is more than other sports in terms of the country’s youth who are benefiting by way of improving their fitness levels, personality, and healthy living.”
apassela@thenational.ae
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