Commando Group Dominates Penultimate Day Of Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship

The Commando Group from the UAE led the penultimate day of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship at Mubadala Arena. Friday's events included finals for purple and brown belts, along with black belt qualifiers. Emirati M.O.D UAE secured second place, while American Checkmat International took third. The black belt finals are scheduled for tomorrow, starting at 6 PM.

Emirati athletes excelled in the professional competitions, earning six medals in total. They won two golds, one silver, and three bronzes across purple and brown belt categories. Zayed Al Shamsi from Al Wahda Club clinched gold in the 56 kg purple belt category. His teammate Saeed Al Kubaisi also won gold in the 85 kg brown belt category.

Hadi Abbas of Al Ain Club secured a silver medal in the 62 kg purple belt category. Meanwhile, Baniyas Club members Mohammed Saeed Al Ketbi, Fahad Al Hammadi, and Maid Al Shehhi each earned bronze medals in their respective categories: 56 kg purple belt, 69 kg purple belt, and 56 kg brown belt.

Mohamed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, expressed his pride: "I congratulate the champions who made it to the podium on Friday. This success is the result of hard work, dedication to training, and thorough preparation." He praised the new generation of athletes supported by UAE’s leadership.

The championship has showcased top-tier competition with elite athletes worldwide. It reinforces Abu Dhabi’s status as a premier global sports hub. The black belt finals will feature competitors from various countries including Brazil, USA, Portugal, Philippines, Russia, and UAE.

Al Dhaheri highlighted notable achievements: "I congratulate Emirati champions Zayed Alkatheeri... Khaled Al Shehhi... Asma Alhosani... Mohammed Al Suwaidi..." These athletes have reached significant milestones in their careers.

Zayed Alkatheeri made history by winning black belt gold in 2022 and has qualified for finals three consecutive years. Khaled Al Shehhi reached black belt finals for a second year running. Asma Alhosani became the first Emirati woman to qualify for black belt finals in this championship's history.

The much-anticipated black belt finals will occur tomorrow at Mubadala Arena from 6 to 9 PM. Following these matches will be a ceremony to crown the champions.

With inputs from WAM