Arab News

ABU DHABI: Some of the world’s top grapplers return to Abu Dhabi next month for the AJP Tour UAE National Pro championship.

This has been confirmed by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro. Open to all nationalities, the two-day competition will take place Sept. 3 to 4 at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena.

The opening day will start with the teens, youth, and masters’ categories, while day two will feature amateur and professional contests. With the tournament included in the annual classification of AJP Tour rankings points, the championship takes on added importance. First place in each category will receive 1,000 rating points, making it key for international players, their global classification, and advancement on the annual rankings ladder.

Fahad Al-Shamsi, the UAEJJF secretary general, said: “The AJP Tour UAE National Pro is one of the most important tournaments on the calendar, attracting great local and international participation. It also tends to highlight emerging young talents as they start their professional career journeys and is an important tributary to the national team as it heightens the level of local athletes.

“This year’s tournament comes at an ideal time, enabling players to prepare for key international tournaments, including the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in October and the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship in November. The tournament will gather a group of the strongest competitors representing countries that have a strong history in the sport, such as Brazil, Colombia, UAE, Kazakhstan, Italy, France, Angola, Sweden, and others.”

Tariq Al-Bahri, general manager of AJP, said his organization’s cooperation with the UAEJJF was proving mutually beneficial, resulting in an increased number of events, higher standards, and enormous success in terms of participation numbers, both regionally and worldwide.

“The UAE National Pro is a local event with international standards and is attracting a great turnout from the brightest talents around the world,” he said. “The players are eagerly awaiting the tournament as it is considered one of the most important organized by the league as part of the 2022 calendar. Abu Dhabi continues to work to consolidate its leadership as the global capital of jiu-jitsu by organizing and hosting the largest and most important tournaments in the world.

“The AJP organizes around 100 annual championships in various capitals and cities around the world, attracting the participation of elite champions and professionals, reflecting the UAE capital’s role in developing the sport across the globe.”