After a strong week, the UAE national jiu-jitsu team looks to continue its winning streak and defend the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship crown as the ‘falcons’ compete in the Under-18 division at Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Zayed Sports City on Sunday. The team has enjoyed a phenomenal performance in the Under-16 and Adults categories amassing 29 medals.
The national team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, has taken home 10 gold, 7 silver, and 12 bronze medals since the championship began and looks unstoppable with Under-18 and Under-21 competitions yet to begin. The team’s coach Ramon Lemos said the team will assert its dominance in the remainder of the competitions as well.
“The national team’s performance has me fully satisfied. We have advanced significantly this season compared to past World Championships by taking home 10 gold medals so far in both the Adults and Under-16 divisions. This demonstrates the effectiveness of our strategies and plans for enhancing the team’s performance across all age groups,” he said.
“If I quickly assess the team’s overall performance, the gold medals clearly demonstrate the players’ superior skills on the mats and the quality of their performance. In the finals, we had Emirati athletes facing each other, so winning silver was unavoidable.” he said.
The national team administrator, Yasser Al Qubaisi, too appeared excited about the team’s great showing in the first week.
“The numbers speak for themselves. We achieved 10 golds in the Under-16 and Adults categories, compared to 7 medals last year. We are moving steadily towards implementing the federation’s strategy to nurture strong national team players in different age groups. The team’s performance demonstrates the effectiveness of the federation’s plans over the past years, which have produced a generation of champions for which we are proud,” he said adding that the Federation has already begun preparing for the upcoming season by choosing the competitions that best suit the squad and arranging the training and other requirements they need to retain their form.
The champion Omar Al-Suwaidi (56 kg), who is competing in Under-21 division, commented: “These achievements do not come out of nowhere. The technical staff has been working tirelessly to ensure the team’s readiness, this is a result of their tireless efforts and sacrifices. I extend my heartfelt greetings to the visionary leadership of the UAE for the limitless support, our beloved fans, and everyone who stood with us.”
Among the UAE’s leading male faces in the Under-21 category is Mahdi Alawlaqi (above 77 kg). “We are all set for the action. We have been working with the technical staff for more than a month in preparation for these important competitions that could be decisive for the national team to defend the title,” he said while talking about the upcoming competitions.
“Since we are the defending champions and play for one of the top teams, we are aware that we will be up against some of the best players in the world, but our aim is to defend our title and win yet again,” he added.
Mayed Alshehhi (56 kg), an Under-21 competitor, predicted that the team would duplicate its performance from last week in the remaining competitions.
“My teammates and I are looking forward to the Under-21 competitions on Monday. I am ready to produce a performance that reflects the efforts and preparations we did in the last few days.”
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