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UAE, Israel jiu-jitsu federations join forces to become better, stronger

Abu Dhabi - Alroy was impressed with the state-of-the-art infrastructure at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena

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The UAE and Israel jiu-jitsu federations inked a historic memorandum of understanding to hold joint training camps for the national teams and special championships.

Erez Alroy, chairman, International Association of Competitive Jiu-Jitsu in Israel, said the agreement will lead to athletes from both the countries become better fighters.

“Now we can come here to train together and compete, you guys can come to Israel and train together and compete. Everybody will become better. You can get better only when you fight against people who are either at your level or higher,” Alroy told Khaleej Times after the signing ceremony of the agreement on the sidelines of the Al Ittihad Jiu-Jitsu Championship at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Abu Dhabi.

“We are a small but pretty strong federation. We have good coaches and athletes. We have some world champions as well. So, you will get to spar with very good athletes, including females. So, everybody will benefit from this.”

Alroy was impressed with the state-of-the-art infrastructure at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena and lauded the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) for dedicating an expansive facility exclusively for the sport.

“This is an amazing arena. There are lots of very good coaches and athletes. I have watched your athletes for the last few years and seen how they have developed and getting better.”

Alroy underlined the UAE’s investment in jiu-jitsu has made the sport truly international and one that merits inclusion in the Olympics. He added the agreement will elevate the level of sport back in Israel.

“Sports is about working together. The world is too small for fighting. We have seen how a small virus can shut the world down. So, we don’t have time to waste. We should enjoy and share brotherhood through sports.”

As part of the agreement, federations will also share technical expertise and hold workshops for referees and administrators.

Abdul Munam Al Hashemi, chairman, UAEJJF, and vice president, Ju-Jitsu International Federation, said: “We are honoured to share our expertise with our counterparts in Israel. I would like to thank the generous support extended to us by the UAE’s visionary leadership in building bridges of trust and cooperation all across the world and I am confident that this agreement will empower a growing number of people in both countries to learn and benefit from the sport.”

Al Hashemi is confident the new partnership will be a platform to learn and grow for the jiu-jitsu communities in both countries.

“The UAE and Israel are countries with a rich history in the world of jiu-jitsu and through this collaboration we are looking forward to harnessing the knowledge, passion, and interest present in both countries for the betterment of the sport and to help accelerate the development of athletes, referees, and administrators through various sporting initiatives,” he said.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com