UAE Falcons out to soar at 4th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship

A strong UAE National Jiu-Jitsu team is headed to Mongolia for this week’s 4th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship, confident of following its recent success at the Kazakhstan Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix.

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Falcons squad, which departed for the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, on Sunday, 14th July, 2019, for the championship which runs from 17th-21st July at the Central Sports Palace, features 23 of the country’s best athletes from five jiu-jitsu clubs across the UAE, including Al Ain, Al Jazira, Al Wahda, Baniyas and Team 777.

With 349 entries from 21 nations across Asia, the 4th Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship is shaping up to be the most competitive edition to date, and demonstrates the growing strength and popularity of jiu-jitsu across Asia.

"The diverse range of athletes joining us in Ulaanbaatar underlines the ever-growing popularity of our sport across Asia, and reinforces the inclusivity of jiu-jitsu. This is an incredibly positive sign for the future of the sport, and we are looking forward to an exciting championship," said Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, CEO of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

After claiming 14 medals at the recent Kazakhstan Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Falcons are in a confident mood heading to Mongolia.

"The championship is special, as it includes jiu-jitsu talent from across Asia, and I have been working with the aim of achieving great results," said Mohammed Al Qubaisi from Team 777, who will take to the mat in the Men’s 77kg event on July 17.

Teammate, Sultan Al Ali, who represents the Al Jazira Club, added, "I am excited to be a part of the journey and to bring back a medal validating that the UAE and Abu Dhabi are the homelands of Jiu-Jitsu globally." Al Ali will compete for a gold medal in the 94kg category on 19th July.

The female members of the squad are also in a bullish mood heading into the championship. Al Ain’s Hessa Al Shamsi, who participates in the Women’s 57kg event on July 18, said, "I have made sure I am prepared, and my aim is to win the gold medal."

Al Shamsi’s teammate, Maha Al Hinnai, will also competed in the Women’s 57kg., said, "I have been training twice a day for this moment. Representing the UAE is an honour and I want to pay my country back by winning and enhancing the global reputation of the UAE in Jiu-Jitsu."

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