ABU DHABI 15 April 2018: The 10th edition of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship kicks off Monday, April 16, in what is set to be one of the largest and most prestigious events in the jiu-jitsu sport’s history.
Organised by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), the 13-day event will witness more than 9,000 participants competing at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, where they will fight it out for the top titles and total cash prizes exceeding US$1 million.
More than 80 per cent of the world’s elite Jiu-Jitsu athletes are converging on the UAE’s capital to participate in the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu championship, with fan-favourites attracting crowds in one of the most anticipated events of the UAE sports calendar. Arriving with fresh victories under his belt, US national Gianni Grippo will be seeking to defend his 2017 gold medal.
Meanwhile, prominent Emirati talent includes world champion Faisal Al Ketbi, as well as UAE national Jiu-Jitsu athletes Talib Al kerbi, Obaid Alkaabi and Musabeh Al Khateri, among others from the most prominent academies and clubs from around the UAE.
Landmark Championship
Abdelmoneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and Senior Vice-President of Jiu-Jitsu International Federation, said: “The 10th edition of the Abu Dhabi world Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship is gearing up to be one of the most significant sporting events in the history of the Jiu-Jitsu. It is the largest gathering of jiu-jitsu professional and amateur athletes to date and introduces the brand-new ‘King of Mats’ competition.”
Decade of Global Growth
The tenth edition of the event also marks a decade of growth for Jiu-Jitsu in the UAE, where it is a national sport taught to almost 120,000 school students. With Jiu-Jitsu established as one of the fastest growing martial arts in the world thanks to ongoing support of the wise leadership, the UAE aims to play an important role in upscaling the sport of Jiu-Jitsu in the future.
The Championship enjoys wide exposure across the international sports community thanks to the support of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of its embassies across the world, which have worked hard to promote the global nature of the sport and the prestigious event through a range of promotional activities.
Action-Packed Agenda
‘King of Mats’ is a brand-new and unique addition to the tenth edition of the Championship, which will witness the winning champions from the last nine editions compete for titles and cash prizes totalling USD 200,000 across three categories: light, medium and heavy weight. The special event takes place on April 24.
Big names such as Tiago Bravo and Leonardo Saggioro from the lightweight category, Tanner Rice and Clark Gracie from the middleweight category and Alexander Trans from the heavyweight category.
Other activities held across the 13 days include the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Festival, taking place April 16 to 21, with some 6,400 participants. Around 1,500 athletes are set to participate in the Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship on April 22 and 23, with another 1,500 registered for the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship between April 24 and 28.
The entire competition will be broadcasted worldwide on a number of channels, and providing 24/7 live coverage, analysis and features on Abu Dhabi Sports 2 which is dedicated to the Championship throughout the month.
Strategic Support
The UAEJJF enjoys strong strategic partnerships that have allowed the sport to grow in the UAE, with cooperation taking place across various sectors. These partnerships reinforce the sport’s position within the UAE society and contribute to the success of major global Jiu-Jitsu events, including the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-jitsu Championship.
The Championship’s sponsors include Abu Dhabi Media as the Official Media Partner, Abu Dhabi Sports Channels as the Official Sport Channel and Palm Sports as Strategic Partner. Emaar is the event’s Lifestyle Developer partner, with Premier Motors from Al Tayer Motors – Land Rover as the Exclusive Automotive Partner and Etihad Airways as the Official Airline. The Ministry of Interior and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank are the Diamond Partners, while Sky News Arabia is Content Partner, SEHA is Healthcare Partner, ADNOC is Energy Partner. Meanwhile, Supporting Partners are Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.
Gold Partners are: ADASI, Al Massaood, Emirates Global Aluminium, Dolphin Energy, Cavallo (Louzan fashion), Aafaq and the Department of Culture and Tourism. Silver Partners are: Al Khajja Holding Group, United Al Saqr Group, Senaat, Tawazun Economic Council and Lulu International Group, and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation is Safety Partner
You can now download the mobile app for the Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship to know more about the championship updates, players and news. Available on Android and iOS.