UAE's youngsters impress at jiu-jitsu 
championship

The UAE national team’s Under-18 stars showed the future of the sport in the Emirates is in safe hands, taking 15 more medals to lead the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship with 46 medals after an impressive display of technical ability on day three of championship in Abu Dhabi.

The UAE lead the medal table with 46 podium finishes, comprising 16 golds, 14 silvers, and 16 bronze medals.

The UAE sit ahead of the RJF team’s 36 medals - including 14 gold, 14 silver, and 8 bronze - with Kazakhstan in third place with 33 medals, including 7 gold, 6 silver, and 20 bronze medals. The Under-18 athletes’ haul of seven gold, four silver and four bronze medals adds to the 14 medals won by the Under-16 team on Sunday and the 17-medal haul claimed by the Under 21 side on Monday. The record haul has seen the UAE named the event’s ‘Best Team of the Under-21 Category’ and ‘Best Team of the Under-18 Category’.

Ibrahim AlHosani, coach of the Under-18 players, said: “The performance of every member of the team was extremely special today. The team fully deserved their medals, and those who did not make it to the podium should be very proud of themselves as they fought like warriors.

“Each and every one of them will learn something they can take forward to the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship next week. The players who didn’t make it to the podium will learn from their defeat and the ones who made it had to battle against some quality opposition to get there – this is wonderful preparation for the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.”

Gameah AlHammadi got the first medal of the UAE haul on day three with gold in the women’s -70kg category, with Sabah AlRasbi claiming bronze in the same division. Shamma AlMezaini also secured gold in the -40kg category, while Aysha AlShamsi came out on top in the -44kg division with Lolwa AlHosani alongside her on the podium after securing bronze.