ULAANBAATAR, (Pakistan Point News - 20th Jul, 2023) The UAE national jiu-jitsu team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, successfully defended its championship title at the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, held in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar. The athletes, affectionately called ‘Jiu-Jitsu Falcons', secured an impressive 14 medals in total, including 8 golds, 4 silvers, and 2 bronze medals, outperforming Sweden, which finished in a distant second place, and Thailand, which came in third.
The championship took place from 15th – 20th July with over 40 countries participating. On the final day, the UAE national team members added 6 medals, including four golds and two silvers. Building on the team’s brilliant performances on the first two days of the championship, Hamda Al Shekeili (48 kg) gave a strong start to the team as the competitions began on Thursday. She was soon joined by Shamma Al Kalbani (63 kg), Theyab Al Nuaimi (56 kg), and Mahdi Al Awlaki (77 kg), all earning gold medals.
Meanwhile, Omar Al-Suwaidi (56 kg) and Faraj Al-Awlaki (77 kg) earned silver medals, further increasing the team’s overall medal tally.
Abdel Moneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Asian Ju-Jitsu Union, and Senior Vice President of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, dedicated the team’s remarkable achievement to the UAE leadership. Al Hashemi noted that the UAE leaders’ unwavering support for sports and athletes, along with their dedication to investing in the sons and daughters of the UAE, was instrumental in every one of the team’s successes.
Furthermore, he extended his heartfelt gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, for his keen involvement in overseeing the jiu-jitsu project in the country, noting that Sheikh Khaled's presence at the team’s training sessions and continuous guidance were invaluable in boosting their continuous pursuit of excellence.
The closing day of the World Championship witnessed two all-Emirati finals in the weight categories of 56 kg and 77 kg. In the first fight, the two champions, Theyab Al Nuaimi and Omar Al Suwaidi, faced off, while the second match brought together siblings Mahdi Al Awlaki and Faraj Al Awlaki, showcasing the UAE’s dominance in the global jiu-jitsu scene once again.
“We are proud of this great achievement. It was incredible to hear the UAE national anthem playing on multiple occasions today. We succeeded in building on the accomplishments of our colleagues in the past two days, adding to their work and then crowning the world championship title, retaining it for the fourth year straight,” said Al Nuaimi, who took the gold.
For his part, Mahdi Al Awlaki, the world champion in the 77 kg weight category, said, “It makes no difference whether the winner in the final is me or my brother. The winner, first and foremost, is the homeland. Four Emirati athletes have qualified for two finals in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. It is clear evidence of the status that the UAE jiu-jitsu has reached, thanks to the unlimited support of our wise leadership and the UAEJJF.”
After the historic moment, Hamda Alshekeili, said she will now start getting ready for her next adventure. “I am filled with indescribable happiness to gift the UAE with this gold medal. It was a result of many sacrifices and serious preparations I made along with colleagues in the national team. We wanted to translate the support we have got into these results, and I am sure we could do that. After the joy, there is no time for rest because the opportunities are many, and the championships are consecutive in the second half of this year.”
Shamma Al Kalbani, winner of the 63 kg division, once again demonstrated her mettle and superiority in the global jiu-jitsu scene with another gold medal. “Our goals were clear right from the beginning. We entered the arena armed with the highest levels of determination and focus to retain the title. We came out with many gains from this tournament, and our ambition has no limits, as we are thirsty for more titles. This achievement will be a great motive for us to achieve more titles and maintain our global dominance,” she said.
