ABU DHABI // Yahia Mansour’s decision to return to the Open division from the Masters ranks ended in triumph over the weekend.
The Emirati clinched the gold medal in the Open brown-belt division on the second and final day of the Ramadan Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Cup at the Armed Forces Officers Club on Saturday.
It was reward for all the hard work Mansour had put in since the switch after winning gold in the Masters-1 division (for competitors over 30) at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship in April.
“The return to compete in the Open category is to improve my chances of remaining in the UAE national team squad,” he said.
“Of course, it means I have to raise the bar and show good results. The Ramadan Cup was the first step and I feel extremely delighted with my own performance in a strong group.”
Mansour had to overcome American Dwight Brooks in his opening match before a semi-final victory over Khalid Walid of Jordan.
He defeated India’s Vibhudatta Rout in the final, clinching with a two-hold submission lock to end the fight in just over a minute.
“All the fights were very tough, and that’s not unusual in such high-profile local competitions which draw the cream of the crop of players, both Emiratis and expatriates, from around the country,” he said.
Mansour has been training with the national team squad that is due to fly out and take part in the Brazil National Championships in Rio de Janeiro on July 11 and 12.
The Brazilians made a medal sweep in the Open black-belt division. Ricardo Ferreira took gold ahead of Paulo Pinto; Marcelo Araujo claimed the bronze.
Russians won three of the nine finals on Saturday, while Sami Hariz collected a second in the competition for Yemen.
The other three gold medals went to Ahmed Shaker of Syria, Canadian Mohammed Al Qatto, and Mansur Makhmakhanov, of Kazakhstan.
Max Abrahamyav Grachev, one of three successful Russians on the night, won a third career Ramadan final.
A student of Muay Thai, Grachev changed disciplines due to the number of top-level ju-jitsu tournaments held in the UAE.
“Jiu-jitsu training was held in the same gym in Dubai where I was practicing Muay Thai. I attended the JJ lessons one day and have never looked back,” said Grachev, 21, a purple belt who also won a bronze medal at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship and silver in the Pan American Championships in 2014.
“My goal is to become a black belt champion in both Gi and No-Gi, and the Emirates is the right place to practice the art as the sport has a very big following and top-level competitions almost every month.”
He lives in Dubai with his parents and is an instructor at Team Noguera Dubai.
“There are a few kids in the gym and a few under me who are winners at the Abu Dhabi Kids World Cup,” he said.
“So I am enjoying what I like best by both competing and teaching ju-jitsu.”
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