Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

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, will be held in adherence to the most stringent health and safety measures and a specially designed pathway for international athletes to maximise their wellbeing according to the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, the Championship’s organisers.

The ADWPJJC will be held at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in the UAE’s capital from April 6-9 and will see some of the best jiu-jitsu fighters from across the world compete over four days.

The UAEJJF said that the tournament had received an overwhelming response with registration slots filling up rapidly and the world’s best athletes having their eyes firmly fixed on the road to glory.

The 12th iteration of the ADWPJJC will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and will offer a total prize fund of Dhs2.7 million.

Action begins on April 6 with junior athletes (under-18 and under-21) taking to the mats at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena, followed by the masters category on April 7.

The final two days of the competition are reserved for high-octane action in the professional division which will see top male and female stars of global jiu-jitsu go toe-to-toe on the road to glory.

The UAEJJF in close coordination with multiple government entities has put in place a comprehensive health and safety framework adhering to all local and federal health guidelines to ensure a safe and secure environment for hundreds of male and female, masters, and junior athletes from around the world to compete for glory at the ADWPJJC.

The Championship will be held behind closed doors to ensure the wellbeing of all participants. Athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, and all staff engaged in the smooth conduct of the tournament will undergo regular RT-PCR testing, social distancing norms will be in place at all times, and the wearing of masks will be mandatory.

International athletes will be required to take an RT-PCR test at their first point of arrival in the UAE, and then be required to quarantine for two days in designated hotels.

They will then further take another RT-PCR test just before the weigh-in and one immediately at the conclusion of their competitive engagements. The athletes will at no point be allowed to exit the tournament bubble.

Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, vice-president of the UAEJJF, said that the UAEJJF was looking forward to welcoming back the global jiu-jitsu community to the capital of the sport after a challenging year. “Abu Dhabi has today become the unrivalled international home of jiu-jitsu and this standing brings with it a lot of responsibility.

“It is our commitment to ensure that the development of our beloved sport continues apace and with the direction of the UAE’s wise and visionary leadership, we are confident that the 12th edition of the ADWPJJC will be a tremendous success.

“It is a matter of great pride that the ADWPJJC’s road to glory will commence on the day we begin to commemorate the 50th year of the founding of our country,” he said.

“We have received a very encouraging response from the global jiu-jitsu community and we have put in place a wide-ranging system to ensure that the health, safety, and wellbeing of all participants, technical staff, officials, and staff is prioritised at all times.

“Abu Dhabi has already shown the world that it is capable of hosting world-class sporting events in these unprecedented times and we are confident that the ADWPJJC will soon join this illustrious list of events,” he said.

Faisal Al Ahbabi, Director, Infectious Diseases Department, Abu Dhabi Public Health centre, said that close cooperation between the UAEJJF and his department had seen them draw up a far-reaching plan to maintain the highest standards of health and safety in the run-up to and during the ADWPJJC.

“One of the hallmarks of Abu Dhabi’s hosting of internationally-acclaimed sporting events over the course of last year has been the very robust health and safety framework that has been deployed around the event. The ADWPJJC is no different.

“The Abu Dhabi Public Health centre has worked very closely with the UAEJJF in instituting a thorough system of testing and compliance to internationally-accepted safety standards and are confident of guaranteeing the safety of all participants,” he said.