Amin Abbas

ABU DHABI: During an exclusive ceremony hosted by the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi, the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation honored the winners of the 12^th edition of the World Jiu-Jitsu Award.

The prestigious award celebrates the individual and collective efforts of players, clubs and academies at local and global levels.

The ceremony was attended by Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Youssef Abdullah Al Batran, Member of the Board of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Brigadier Mohamed bin Dalmouj Al Dhaheri, Member of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, Aref Hamad Al Awani, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Mohammed Jalal Al Raisi, Director General of the Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Yasser Saeed Al Mazrouei, CEO of the Exploration, Development and Production Department of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).

Al-Batran, Board Member of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Federation, congratulated the winners of the Abu Dhabi International Jiu-Jitsu Award, wishing them continued success in all the sporting merits in which they participate.

He also said: “The most important goal of the award ceremony is to provide a platform that sheds light on the elite players of various categories of belts and experiences, and we are keen to organize it at the conclusion of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship to take advantage of the global presence that the tournament attracts every year. For players, it is especially important this year, due to the exceptional challenges that face jiu-jitsu players around the world during the year, as jiu-jitsu players have demonstrated the depth of their adoption of sport values and their ability to adapt to the changes.”

“We are proud to honor our champions among the UAE players, and we are also honored to honor international players based on our belief in our mission to promote Jiu-Jitsu and provide various forms of support to the Jiu-Jitsu community around the world. We are looking forward to hosting world stars again in Abu Dhabi,” he added.

Al-Batran praised the distinguished performance that the country’s clubs continue to register, as they represent the first incubator for the launch of the champions at the local and global level, praising the position reached by the Jiu-Jitsu clubs in the UAE, and their ability to compete with the most prestigious international clubs.

The best stars on the podium of the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards

The Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards honored elite national and international players from various continents, and the award categories and their winners included:

Best Emirati Blue Belt Player for the Youth Category: Ammar Hamad Al Dhaheri – Al Ain Club

Best Emirati Blue Belt Female Player: Haya Al-Jhouri – Al-Wehda Club

Best Emirati Blue Belt Player – Men: Mohammed Al-Suwaidi – Bani Yas Club

Best Emirati Blue Belt Player – Women: Maryam Al Amiri – Al Wahda Club

Best Emirati Purple Belt Player – Men: Mohammed Al Amiri – Al Wahda Club

Best Emirati Female Player of the Purple Belt – Wadima Al-Yafei – Al Ain Club

Best Emirati player in the brown belt: Sultan Al-Ali – Al-Jazira Club

Best Emirati Black Belt Player: Faisal Al Ketbi – Baniyas Club

The best Emirati school for jiu-jitsu training – for boys: Al Maqam School – Al Ain

The best Emirati school in jiu-jitsu training – girls: The Shim School – Al Ain

Best Asian Player: Ali Monfradi – Bahrain

Best European Player: Adam Wardzynski – Poland

Best Player in North and Central America: Alberto Serrano Juvia – Mexico

Best African Player: Walter dos Santos – Angola

Best South American Player: Diego Batista – Brazil

Best Young Player: Andy Murasaki – Brazil

Professors’ Player of the Year: Igor Silva – Brazil

Female Player of the Year: Gabriela Pisana- Brazil

Male Player of the Year: Diego Batista – Brazil

National clubs and academies are a factory for future stars

National clubs recorded a unique performance during the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where Al-Wehda club won the top of the club rankings with 13360 points and 31 colored medals.

On the other hand, the Abu Dhabi International Award for Jiu-Jitsu honored the best sports academy at the national level, as Al Ain Club won the award for the best local sports club. The Checkmate Academy won the Best International Academy award, while the Kazakhstan Jiu-Jitsu Federation won the Best Asian Federation award.