Choking their way to championships: Emirati sisters fly UAE flag high in combat sports

Zamzam Al Hammadi and her younger sister Ghala are like regular teenage siblings – they exchange clothes, play together and go to school together. In fact, they even win medals together at combat sports.

Training in the martial arts of jiu jitsu since the age of 3, the Al Hammadi sisters have been raking in medals in both jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA) representing the UAE.

Earlier this month, Zamzam scripted history by becoming the first ever Emirati female champion ever at the MMA Youth World Champion held by amateur martial arts governing body IMMAF. Ghala followed it up with her own gold medal by performing the fastest ever submission on her opponent in IMMAF women’s youth MMA history.

At the recently concluded Youth World Championship in Kazakhstan, 15-year-old Zamzam won a gold medal in the women’s 52 kg weight category- making her one of the rare simultaneous world champions in both MMA and jiu jitsu. Here is a video of her fight:

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Ghala scooped a bronze medal at the same tournament in the women’s 40kg category. “People don’t believe it but we have a very close bond,” said Zamzam speaking to Khaleej Times. “The only time we fight is on the mats. Otherwise, we get on really well.”

A family of fighters

Since she began competing, Zamzam alone has won over 500 medals. The sisters attribute all their success to their family. “Everyone in my family does jiu jitsu,” said Zamzam. “My mother, my father and my two brothers are all jiu jitsu athletes. In fact, one of our best bonding time is when we all practice on the mats together.”

Ghala agreed. “We are all busy but at least once a day we all try to roll together,” she said. “I think that the best support you get is from your family. So both of us are incredibly lucky to have such supportive parents.”

At the jiu jitsu championship held in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, Zamzam ran into the stands to hug her mother when she won first place. “My mother has been my biggest strength,” she said. “She gives me good advice on my fighting techniques and she is always there at all our games to support us.”

According to Zamzam, it was her mother and her first coach John that got her into jiu jitsu. “When I was young, I didn’t really enjoy jiu jitsu so I used to skip it,” she said. “Once Coach John caught me skipping class and asked to speak to my mother. He told my mother that he thought I had a natural talent at jiu jitsu and if I was guided properly, I could be a champion.”

Strict schedule

The two sisters start their day at 4am, training for two hours in the morning before heading to school. “Once at school, we have a full day”, said Ghala. “We both are good students so we set aside some private time to do our studies.”

After school and studies, the sisters do an hour of cardio before returning to the mats to practice for two more hours. “We try to get in at least five hours of training including cardio every day,” said Zamzam. “This is important to maintain our fitness levels.”

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