The Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro Tour (AJP Tour) made its latest stop at the weekend with athletes taking to the mats at Al the Nasr Club in Dubai for the UAE National Pro Championship.

Organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro (AJP), presented athletes from clubs across the UAE another valuable opportunity to demonstrate and develop their skills.

Day one, for white and blue belts, saw Sharjah Self Defence Sports Club come out on top, capturing first place with 50,700 points; followed by Al Ain Club with 18,500 points and Palms Sports - Team 777 with 16,700 points.

The championship is included in the annual classification of the AJP, giving the first-place winner 1,000 rating points in each category.

Balqees Abdulla produced an impressive performance to win the U16 blue belt category. After her victory, Balqees said: “The win is crucial for me as it gives me an additional 1,000 points for my ranking record. The championship included strong talent and it takes a lot of patience, focus, sacrifice and identifying the opponent’s weaknesses, thankfully the technical coaches focus on this a lot during our training, so certainly it helped me alot.”

“My next stop will be the fourth round of the Mother of the Nation Championship, which is of great importance as I am keen to pursue more victories.”

Day two of the UAE National Pro Championship, on Saturday, saw the best purple, brown and black belt holders from various weight classes compete. Sharjah Self Defence Sports Club again bagged first place with 60,900 points, followed by Palms Sports - Team 777 with 49,900 and Commando Group with 29,100 points.

Rafael Busantos, winner of the men’s 120 kg black Master 2 belt category, said: “I would like to thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation for the outstanding organisation giving jiu-jitsu athletes the opportunity to compete in safe environment. The level of competition was strong today, proving that the sport is prospering even more in the country.”

Commenting on the championship, Ibrahim Al Hosani, coach of the national jiu-jitsu team, said: “The level of competition was magnificent across all belt categories and weight division, serving a perfect opportunity for local athletes to enhance their game.  

“Moreover, the different technical styles of participants will also have a positive impact on Emirati athletes as they get exposure to different kinds of talents.”

Mubarak El Menhali, UAEJJF technical director, added: “As the governing body of the sport in the UAE, our goal is to give our athletes as many opportunities as possible to develop their skills. They deserve great credit for the way they have once again embraced this championship setting. Their effort is commendable and championships such as this will benefit them, and the long-term growth of the sport.”

Recently, Abu Dhabi has enhanced its position at the forefront of combat sports with the UAEJJF, expanding its mandate to oversee the development of mixed martial arts (MMA), as the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation.

The federation formed a committee to develop a variety of MMA disciplines aimed at enhancing their presence, ethics, and values and developing a new generation of athletes who can compete on the local and global stage.

During its latest meeting, the federation’s Board of Directors, headed by Abdulmunam Al Hashemi, Chairman, UAEJJF, President of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union (JJAU), Senior Vice President, Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF), endorsed the formation of the new committee, in the presence of Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President, UAEJJF; UAEJJF board members Mohammed Bin Dalmouk Al Dhaheri, Youssef Al Batran; Samira Al Romaithi and Mansour Dhaheri; and Fahad Al Shamsi, General Secretary of UAEJJF.

Mohammed Bin Dalmouk has been appointed chairperson of the new committee which includes leading figures in UAE combat sports. Mohammed Jassim Al Hosani is Secretary General. Key committee members include Mubarak El Menhali, the UAEJJF technical director; renowned MMA coach Umidjon Mavlyanov, and Fouad Darwish, CEO of Palms Sports, the leading UAE provider for sports training programs.