Abu Dhabi (Al Ittihad)
Under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the activities of the fourth edition of the World Junior Mixed Martial Arts Championship were launched in the Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, and the opening day of the tournament witnessed a group of matches The strong presence of a remarkable audience and an exceptional atmosphere of enthusiasm and suspense.
The four-day tournament is organized by the International Federation of Mixed Martial Arts and hosted by the Federation of Ju-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts, as it continues until August 5, with a record participation of 636 male and female players representing 45 countries.
On the first day, confrontations were held in the presence of Brigadier General Muhammad bin Dalmouj Al Dhaheri, member of the Board of Directors of the Ju-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation and Chairman of the Mixed Martial Arts Committee. And Keith Brown, President of the International Federation of Mixed Martial Arts, Raymond Phillips, member of the Board of Directors of the International Federation of Mixed Martial Arts for the continent of Africa, and a number of representatives of the missions of the participating countries.
The opening day also witnessed exciting competitions in category “C” for the age group 12-13 years, which brought together mixed martial arts athletes from all over the world in an opportunity to showcase their skills and their strong desire to win. The stars of our national team gave a strong performance, and succeeded in winning four colored medals with exceptional performance, as Saif Al Balushi succeeded in seizing a gold medal (weight 40 kg), while Aisha Al Hammadi (weight 57 kg) and Rakan Al Yamahi (weight 34 kg) won the silver medal. Sarah Al Zarooni, bronze, 40 kg.
Brigadier General Mohammed bin Dalmouj Al Dhaheri extended his thanks and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, for his unlimited support for sports and athletic youth in the country. He also directed deep thanks and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. For his generous sponsorship of the World Junior Mixed Martial Arts Championship.
Al Dhaheri stressed the importance of the support provided by the wise leadership, pointing to its tireless efforts in nurturing young talents and promoting sports, and highlighted its pivotal role as a source of inspiration for young people to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
He continued, “Hosting the World Junior Mixed Martial Arts Championship for the second year in a row reinforces Abu Dhabi’s position as a global capital for martial arts sports, with superior capabilities to host international events, according to the highest standards, as the tournament provides a distinctive competitive environment that brings together the best young sports talents and promising stars from around the world.” All over the world to display their skills in the fight cage.
Al Dhaheri praised the strong performance of the national team stars who shone in the fighting cage on the first day of the tournament and succeeded in winning 4 colored medals, including gold, stressing that this outstanding performance of the sons and daughters of the Emirates makes us more optimistic that the medal yields will increase during the next three days in light of the possession of elements The national team for talent and technical capabilities that enable them to achieve the desired goals and in a way that befits the hopes pinned on this distinguished generation.
In turn, Denzen White, Executive Director of the International Federation of Mixed Martial Arts, said: “We are pleased to host the World Junior Mixed Martial Arts Championship in Abu Dhabi, and this event represents the best evidence of the UAE’s passion and commitment to developing and promoting the sport of mixed martial arts. With the skills and sportsmanship of these young athletes, the World Junior MMA Championship is a strong start in their journey to become the stars of the game in the future, and I look forward with great enthusiasm to watching the next three days of matches that will inspire the next generation of MMA champions.”
Saif Al Balushi, our national team player, dedicated the gold medal he achieved in the World Junior Mixed Martial Arts Championship to the wise leadership for its unlimited support for its sons and daughters, and for providing all the ingredients that qualify them to achieve achievements and climb the podiums.
He added, “I thank the technical and coaching staff who worked hard with us in recent weeks and helped us raise our capabilities to compete at the highest levels. I went through a number of strong fights, and succeeded in beating the Ukrainian and Tajik champions, and I think I deserve this achievement.
Al-Balushi continued, “Mixed martial arts is a wonderful sport. I recommend that it be accepted and practiced for its many benefits.”
Aisha Al Hammadi, the national team player for the 57 kg weight category, expressed her great happiness at winning the silver medal after defeating players from Azerbaijan and India.
She added: “I was looking forward to winning the first place, but I succeeded in achieving the second place and the silver medal, and I will seek to benefit from this experience in the upcoming tournaments to achieve a better achievement, God willing.
Al-Hammadi confirmed that she is fluent in ju-jitsu, which helped her master mixed martial arts, explaining that Emirati girls have achieved great success in ju-jitsu, as well as being able to achieve success in mixed martial arts.
Igor Onoprenko, coach of the Ukrainian national team participating in the World Junior Martial Arts Championship, described what he saw of the development of mixed martial arts sport in the UAE as amazing, appreciating the great efforts made and the sponsorship of the UAE leadership for sports in general and combat sports in particular, pointing out that the remarkable rise in The number of combat sports players in the UAE and the development in their technical levels confirm the quality of the work that the country is doing in sponsoring and supporting athletes.
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