Al Hashemi pushes for Jiu Jitsu to be included in 2020 Olympics

UAE players with officials at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship Press Conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday. — KT photo by Nezar Balout

Abu Dhabi — With less than a week to go for the seventh instalment of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu Jitsu Championship in the Capital, Abdulmunam Al Hashemi, President of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Union and Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, reckoned Emirati star Faisal Al Ketbi will have a good showing when he debuts in the black belt.

Al Hashemi also hoped that the sport, after being included in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, will make it to the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo. “Our expectation is Faisal Al Ketbi will make it to the semifinals and hopefully go on and win gold and make the country proud,” Al Hashemi said at a press conference on Monday.

Regarding the push for Jiu Jitsu being including as an Olympic discipline, he said: “Jiu Jitsu is now part of the 2018 Asian Games as well as the Asian Beach Games in 2019. So, it will be on the agenda for the Olympics. The indicators are it will be part of the Olympic Games. We are working towards that and we hope it will be by 2020.”

The UAE has been a driving force behind the growth of the sport and have also been responsible for its inclusion in the Asian Games and the Asian Beach Games.

The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu Jitsu Championship is being held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The Championship, set to run from April 20 to 25, has attracted the most diverse line up of male and female players ever. Including the expanded World Jiu-Jitsu Children’s Cup, 4,000 competitors from 86 different countries will take to the mat in less than a week, battling for an increased total prize fund of over Dh 2 Million.

“With just one week to go until six action-packed days of sport, we mark another momentous occasion for the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation as we warmly welcome the greatest players in the world to Abu Dhabi and proudly announce the UAE representatives for the tournament. Demand from international participants has been higher than ever this year requiring us to add an additional day of competition in the Children’s Cup. That youth tournament will open the wider Championship with the main Opening Ceremony on April 23,” Al Hashemi said.

Some of the UAE national team members who are set to compete include Faisal Al Ketbi (black belt under 95), Mohamed Darwish (white belt over 95), Khalfan Belhoul (blue belt under 85) Yahya Mansour (purple belt over 95), Ali Al Darai (purple belt under 75), Taleb Saleh (brown belt under 65), Eid Reehan (purple belt over 95), Ahmed Ghloum (brown belt under 65), Mohammed Al Qubaisi (purple belt under 75) and Jaber Al Darai (brown belt under 85).

And Faisal Al Ketbi, who will be fighting in the black belt division for the first time, said it was a big responsibility on his shoulders. “It is a great responsibility as I upgrade to a higher level. My morale is high as I start a new journey. It is a going to be a learning experience for me,” Al Ketbi said.

“Our nation has offered us everything from the very beginning. We had the Ramadan Tournament at the Armed Forces Officers Club and we also underwent a month-long camp in Brazil. We hope we can win gold medals and live up to the expectations. Personally, my ambition is to win gold,” he added.

White belt Mohamed Darwish, who will participating in the Championship for the first time, said: “It is a real honour to be selected as part of UAE team and represent my country in front of our own crowds. The UAE is a strong supporter of Jiu-Jitsu and you can feel it in the excitement building in this final week and I can’t wait to feel that energy when I’m out on the mat.”

The Championship schedule sees the World Jiu-Jitsu Children’s Cup 2015 from April 20-22 and the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship from April 23-25, both at the IPIC Arena in Zayed Sports City.

james@khaleejtimes.com