Excitement is rising at the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu World with the launch of professional competitions

The qualifying competitions for the professional category of those holding the purple, brown and black belts in various weights were launched within the 15th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which is being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, at the Mubadala Arena. In Zayed Sports City.

The first day’s competitions for the professional category included qualifying competitions for countries holding the purple, brown and black belts, where the competitions brought together players from the same country to compete with each other and qualify for the qualifying stage and then the finals on Thursday for the purple and brown belts and on Friday for the black belt category. Two players holding the same belt from each country qualify for each weight category.

Yousef Abdullah Al-Batran, a member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: Professional competitions represent the most prominent title of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where over the course of three days we witness the best players in the world competing to achieve glory, especially black belt holders, who are accustomed to presenting impressive performances that pave the way for them. The path towards being crowned and enhancing their chances of competing for the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Award.

Al-Batran expressed his happiness at what he witnessed of the distinguished performance of the sons and daughters of the nation who succeeded in reserving a place for them in the final qualifiers for the professional category, noting the importance of having champions and heroines at the global level and through the largest tournament on the international sports agenda, which is a matter of pride, and we are confident that Confidence in their ability to continue the journey and reach the podiums.

Tariq Omar Al Bahri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Professional Jiu-Jitsu Association, said: In this year’s edition, the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship celebrates fifteen years of excellence.

This edition succeeded in attracting an unprecedented external participation of 4,000 players who flocked to the capital, Abu Dhabi, from 127 countries around the world, led by Brazil, Kazakhstan, the United States, Canada, France, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Bahri adds: The record levels of participation from the most prominent clubs and academies around the world reflect the great importance of the tournament, especially in terms of advancing the players’ professional careers, as it directly affects their global classification approved by the Abu Dhabi Professional Jiu-Jitsu Association. AJP4,000 points are awarded to the first-place finishers, which enhances their chances of winning one of the categories of the Abu Dhabi International Award for Professional Jiu-Jitsu.

Al-Bahri confirmed the full readiness to host the finals of the professional category on Thursday and Friday, as the federation’s work teams are working around the clock to host thousands of professionals and produce a tournament of this honorable level. He expected the UAE players, especially those with brown and black belts, to perform at remarkable levels.

A number of UAE champions and heroines were able to qualify for the qualifying stage of the professional competitions for the purple, brown and black belts, which will be held on Thursday.

Says Mauricio Ospina Jaramillo, coach of the professional category at the Academy AFNT The Emirati: “I am excited to watch the fights, and we have prepared well and trained intensively a month before the start of the tournament. I love this tournament and the atmosphere of its competitions, and I have noticed the extent of development and success it achieves annually and attracting more top-ranked and best players in the world.”

Hamda Al-Shukaili, a purple belt, from Baniyas Club, who qualified for the 49 kg qualifiers, said: “I am certainly pleased to have reached this stage, but I still have strong fights to fight. I am determined to continue striving to be worthy of the challenge in the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, especially in light of its hosting of experienced champions in addition to the remarkable public presence, which adds a unique awe to the atmosphere and motivates me to focus more and exert my utmost efforts.”