The final countdown is on to the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, 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 taking place from 10th to 23rd April at IPIC Arena, Zayed Sports City.
Local heroes of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Team were unveiled today including; Yahya Alhamadi, Mohamed Alqubaisi, Dhahi Althumairi, Zayed Almansoori, Faisal Alkitbi, Taleb Alkirbi and Ibraheem Alhosani. The team who are fresh out of training, expressed their enthusiasm at representing their country on the world stage and their hopes for this year’s event.
The Championship promises to be the most dynamic to date as the competition continues to grow 44% year-on-year. The 2017 edition will welcome over 7,000 international and local competitors from over 100 countries across youth, professional, Para-athletes and legends divisions, battling it out for a prize fund of up to AED 3million.
Additionally, brand-new to this year’s event is key emphasis on social responsibility as part of the UAE’s ‘Year of Giving’, which will see an introduced Para-Jiu-Jitsu division open to players with physical disabilities and special needs.
For the family there will be a breadth of activities in the largest ever IPIC Fan Zone, including sponsor activities, interactive stands, plus the annual raffle returns, giving the public a chance to win exciting prizes including two-brand new cars from Premier Motors that include Jaguar XE and Land Rover Discovery Sport. As part of the Fan Zone Etihad Airways will also be giving away 10 flight tickets away to Jiu-Jitsu supporters.
Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and Senior Vice President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation H.E. Abdulmunem Al Sayed Mohammed AL Hashmi said at the press conference; “The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation are delighted to welcome athletes from across the globe to the ninth Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship from 10th– 23rd April. This edition is going to be the biggest and best yet, not only for the Federation itself but for players and spectators alike.”
The Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship takes place on 16th & 17th April. This is where the next generation of professional players take their learnings including the fundamental values of Jiu-Jitsu and will compete in the state-of-the-art arena to add points to their 2016-2017 season.
Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards, to be held on Sunday, April 23rd at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The awards ceremony will be a celebration of tournament winners and will recognise both players and entities for exceptional talent, with special categories for Emirate Youth Male and Youth Female Fighters of the Year.
The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship will be an unequivocal celebration of the martial art across the country and outlines the region’s enthusiasm for the sport across all levels – from grassroots and community participation, to youth engagement, military use and professional sporting talent. The ninth edition promises to be an action-packed fortnight of competition and fun with something for everyone, from Jiu-Jitsu players, international fans, local followers and the general public alike.
The Championship is open to all and is free to attend across the two weeks. The competition will be broadcast on Abu Dhabi Sports Channels across the region, as well as live-streamed online and the official UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation social media channels. To learn more about the event and keep up-to-date with the program visit https://www.uaejjf.com/.