Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship begins on April 6

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the governing authority for the sport of Jiu-Jitsu in the UAE, will organise the 12th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship (ADWPJJC), the largest and most prestigious event on the global jiu-jitsu calendar, from April 6-9 at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in the UAE capital.

This year’s edition of the ADWPJJC will be held in strict adherence to Federal and local health and safety measures with the wellbeing of athletes, officials, and support staff being the top priority.

The UAEJJF was amongst the first sporting bodies in the region to pioneer a return to live competitive sport and has successfully organised a string of training camps and competitions featuring domestic and international fighters.

The showpiece tournament will kick-off on April 6 with junior athletes below the age of 18 taking to the mats. The next day will feature the Masters competition while fighters competing in the professional category will be in action on April 8-9.

Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President, UAEJJF, President, ADWPJJC Organising Committee, said: “The Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Federation are confident of organising the landmark tournament with the highest regard for safety of everyone involved. “Over the past year, we have successfully organised several championships and training camps, all with extremely high health and wellness standards and have developed a comprehensive set of tried and tested protocols to ensure that these are maintained over the course of the tournament.

“I am confident that the experience gained from organising these high-quality events will enable us to successfully conduct the 12th edition of this prestigious championship.” “We have received overwhelming interest from the global jiu-jitsu community and putting the ADWPJJC’s latest edition together is another marker that contributes to Abu Dhabi’s position as the world’s jiu-jitsu capital and to demonstrate that we are firmly on the road to recovery,” he added.

Faisal Al Ketbi, one of the UAE’s most decorated jiu-jitsu fighters said that he was looking forward to participating in the grand tournament after a long absence of international competitions. “It will be great to welcome the leading jiu-jitsu fighters of the world to Abu Dhabi and to go toe-to-toe against some world-class athletes.

“We have been preparing keenly for the ADWPJJC and we are glad that the UAEJJF has taken the decision to organise this tournament which provides us athletes with a massive platform to test ourselves against the best in the world,” he said.