DUBAI // With sweat running down his chiselled face, Pedro Henrique Peres claimed top honours at the Dubai Jiu-Jitsu Open Championship on Saturday.
Having progressed through the elimination bracket, the Brazilian was forced to face his teammate, Alexander Trans, in the black belt final of the open-weight category, and emerged victorious on points at the Al Wasl Club.
“It’s good prize money they gave, so it’s a happy weekend,” said the Sao Paulo native, who pocketed Dh4,000 for his afternoon workout. “It was a very difficult fight, though. Alex is my teammate, but because of the rules we had to fight. There are tough guys everywhere now, so there are no easy championships, but the guy is a world champion, so all the respect to him.”
The six-minute contest saw Peres and Trans start cautiously, but the stocky Brazilian benefited from successfully sweeping his taller Danish opponent.
In the cavernous sports hall, the echoes of people speaking Portuguese gradually grew as Peres, having taken the points advantage for the sweep, held the lead until the end.
“I tried to act calm and not make any mistakes,” he said. “Having things in your mind can often be a mistake as it changes your breathing.
‘You don’t need to think when you fight, so I just cleared my mind and focused.”
More than 200 competitors from 30 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia and Canada, contested 35 titles over the course of two days but, as is usually the case at such events, it was the Brazilians who dominated.
The organising company, Palm Sports, employs about 270 Brazilians around the Emirates as jiu-jitsu coaches and of the 10 brown or black-belt finals the South Americans reached and triumphed in eight.
In the other two, Spaniard Abner Hernandez won the brown 85 kilogram and Trans won the black 95kg-plus.
Trans’s opponent in that initial final was Faisal Al Ketbi, the UAE national champion, who was making the step up to black belt for the first time.
The 27 year-old Emirati lost on points, but said he was content with his first outing at the higher level.
“I’m happy with silver. It was my first time competing at black belt level, so anything is an achievement but, of course, it will give me a push to work harder and do better next time,” Al Ketbi said.
“Trans is one of the best trainers in the world and we are lucky to have him here, both as a coach and as a fighter. For me as a black belt, this is a step up and a new path, so I am learning and improving.”
Marcelo Freitas, a qualified referee and Abu Dhabi-based coach, said Al Ketbi has the potential to reach the top.
“For me as a Brazilian fighter and a Brazilian coach, I can see Faisal’s level improving so quickly,” he said.
“The way he is moving and developing, he can fight with anyone around the world.
“His potential is limitless.”
For now, the focus of Al Ketbi – and the rest of the UAE contingent of athletes – turns to the Asian Beach Games at Phuket, Thailand, from November 14 to 23.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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