Jiu-Jitsu World Championship 2022 inaugurated in Abu Dhabi

The Jiu-Jitsu World Championship 2022, set to take place from October 29 to November 8 at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Abu Dhabi, was inaugurated by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Following the event, His Highness Sheikh Khaled, who is a Member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, presented medals to the winners of the first day's competitions in the presence of Abdel Moneim Al Hashemi, Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, President of the Asian Jiu-Jitsu Union, and Senior Vice President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF), and Panagiotis Theodoropoulos, President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation.

His Highness also recognised the work of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation in providing the UAE national team with a platform to showcase its discipline and skill and to be a source of pride for the nation.

His Highness was accompanied during the official opening ceremony by Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Office of the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; Sara Awadh Musallam, Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge; Mohamed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; and Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.

Also in attendance were Aref Hamad Al Awani, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; Hamad Ali Al Dhaheri, Undersecretary of the Department of Community Development; Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General, General Administration of Customs; Dr. Bushra Al Mulla, Director General of the Family Care Authority; and Saleh Mohamed Saleh Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.

The ceremony began with the national anthem, followed by a performance by the Abu Dhabi Police Music Band and a speech by the President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation, in which he praised the role of the UAE in hosting major jiu-jitsu events and the nation's outstanding contribution to the development of the sport worldwide.

The opening ceremony also welcomed the teams participating in the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship with a display of the players' national flags.

Commenting at the event, Abdel Moneim Al Hashemi said: "Support from the leadership is the best assurance that the championships hosted by the UAE will be a resounding success, that their objectives will be met, and that Abu Dhabi's reputation as the global capital of jiu-jitsu in the world will only grow.

"The UAE's sons and daughters give courageous performances on the mats, and they are up to the challenge and committed to retaining their title of world champions for a third consecutive year," added Al Hashemi.

The 2022 edition is the third Jiu-Jitsu World Championship to be hosted in Abu Dhabi, with an expected 2,000 male and female competitors from 70 nations expected to participate.

In July, the UAE national team won five medals (two gold, two bronze and one silver) at the World Games in Birmingham, USA.

They have also won both previous editions of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, which took place in Abu Dhabi in 2019 and 2021.