JJIF World Championship headlines 'special season' of jiu-jitsu for UAEJJF

Added to the domestic season are the Tolerance Cup in Al Ain and a No-Gi Dubai Championship

Omar Al Fadhli, right, made history last season by becoming the first Emirati to strike gold in the JJIF event. Courtesy Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) is set for their busiest ever season, highlighted by the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF) World Championship being held for the first time in Abu Dhabi.

Added to the domestic season are the Tolerance Cup in Al Ain from September 26-28 and a No-Gi (without the traditional kimono) Dubai Championship at JBR Beach on January 10.

The season concludes with the grand final Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the 12th edition, at the Mubadala Arena from April 11-18.

“It’s a very special season for us with as we host the World Championships for the first time in Abu Dhabi,” said Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, UAEJJF chief executive officer, at the launch ceremony at their headquarters on Monday.

“It’s also a very busy domestic season as well as for the national team. We had added the Tolerance Cup and the Dubai No-Gi Championship to take the sport to a new audience on the beach.

“The national team are back after participating in the Asian Championship [in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia] in July and the Thai Open on August 10-11.

“They now preparing for the Balkan Open in Romania in September, the West Asian Open in Jordan on October and the JJIF World Championship in November.”

There are also the six Grand Slams (Moscow, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Abu Dhabi and London) and the championships conducted by both the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union (JJAU) and the Olympic Council of Asia.

The World Championship, which will take place November 16-24, comprises eight weight categories for both men and women, the Masters and Under-18 for boys and girls. Last year, Omar Al Fadhli created a piece of history by becoming the first Emirati to win gold in the JJIF event in Poland.

“We have had a lot of success both at international and continental levels but I must acknowledge the others, particularly in Asia, have caught up with us,” said Al Shamsi, who is also the general secretary of the JJAU.

“Jiu-jitsu is on fast track from the time it was included in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. I expect it to have a bigger impact in the 2022 Games in Hangzhou, China.

“The bar is raised so much so now that there won’t be any clear favourites. I have attended many continental competitions. The improvements and the high level of skills in every round of the competitions I have watched are remarkable.”

The UAE domestic season gets underway with the Vice President’s Cup Round 1 at the Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi stadium in Sharjah on August 31.