The UAE national jiu-jitsu team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, has once again showcased its dominance in the sport by winning an impressive 16 medals at the Grand Prix Paris Open 2023. The team put on a stellar performance, bagging 10 medals on the second day of the competitions alone, including two golds, three silvers, and five bronzes. Balqees Abdurlkarim (45 kg) and Abdulla Alkubaisi (94 kg) led the way for the UAE team on Sunday, claiming gold and powering the team’s medal haul. Joining them on the podium were Aysha Al Shamsi (45 kg), Faraj Alawlaqi (77 kg), and Hazza Farhan (94 kg), who secured silver medals. In addition, the team earned five bronze medals, won by Hamda Alshkeili (48 kg), Asma Al Hosani (52 kg), Faisal Al Ketbi (85 kg), Saeed Al Kubaisi (85 kg), and Ammar Al Hosani (94 kg). Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, praised the champions for their achievement, stressing that they always live up to the hopes and aspirations of the nation and are keen to shine on various occasions. “The team’s performance during the festive period brought us happiness and joy. The sons and daughters of our country set the best examples by shouldering responsibilities and making valuable efforts to consolidate our nation’s leadership position in various sporting events.”

“The team’s participation in the Grand Prix Paris Open 2023 came at the right time and showed that the technical level of the team is constantly evolving. They are fully prepared to face upcoming events with the same spirit, perseverance, and determination, which will lead them to achieve more success and achievements in the global jiu-jitsu venues,” he added. Yasser Al Qubaisi, Administrator of the team, confirmed that the results of the second day were satisfactory. “The team has performed brilliantly, even though our ambition was greater, especially in terms of gold medals,” he said. He also pointed out that the team is mostly composed of young men and emerging talents who have a perfect balance of techniques and capabilities, which will qualify them to achieve more success in the next stage. Al Qubaisi added, “We achieved our goals from participating in the tournament and our champions gained a lot in terms of experience. They performed very well in the current preparation stage, especially focusing on training and working hard to implement the instructions of the technical staff, in order to sustain development in their performance.”

Balqees Abdurlkarim said, “I am very happy to have achieved this accomplishment and to have enhanced the country’s medal count in this international tournament. I succeeded in outperforming a number of experienced players by adhering to the directives and instructions of the technical staff. This tournament was an important preparatory step for upcoming tournaments, and we look forward to continuing the path of achievements.”

In turn, Abdulla Alkubaisi said, “Hearing the national anthem played 16 times on the podium is a clear indication of the development that Jiu-Jitsu has achieved in the UAE. UAE players have become a formidable presence in every tournament.”