Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy and Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club secured their places in the finals of the Jiu-Jitsu President’s Cup, set to take place on Saturday, 16th March, at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, in Abu Dhabi.

The inaugural day of the championship on Friday featured elimination rounds for both male and female athletes (adults), with both Al Wahda and Baniyas delivering stellar performances as they advanced to the finals in both divisions.

Saturday will also witness Al Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club and M.O.D Academy competing for third place in the men category, while the former has already confirmed third place in the women division. In the previous edition of the championship, Baniyas clinched the top spot in both men and women divisions, while Al Ain secured second place for men and Al Wahda secured second place for women.

Fahad Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, highlighted the high caliber of the competitions during Friday’s elimination round contests. “The Jiu-Jitsu President’s Cup is a milestone competition for local clubs, given the high-level competitions and its role in nurturing and honing the skills and capabilities of the athletes, preparing them for forthcoming major competitions,” Al Shamsi said.

“The championship, now in its eighth edition, has evolved into a premier event that incentivises state-level clubs to further invest in and develop the athletes, who aspire to win big, ascend podiums, and proudly represent the nation in major international events. It’s a championship that jiu-jitsu enthusiasts look up to every year," he added.

Obaid Meftah, Chairman of Al Wahda Sports Group Company, said the club’s decision to provide opportunities to maximum athletes has yielded the intended results. “We are satisfied with the performance of our team on Friday and on the right track to compete for first place in both men and women divisions. Our athletes have put in great efforts while preparing for the event, and we have full faith in the team members’ capabilities to perform well and lift the winner’s trophy,” he said.

Abdullah Al Shamsi, Administrator of Baniyas Club, said, “The support of H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, President of Baniyas Club, has always been the biggest factor in the club’s brilliance in all the competitions it takes part in. We are pleased to qualify for the finals tomorrow, and we are confident that our athletes will deliver an amazing performance so that the first place will be ours, repeating our success story of the last four years.”

Marina Ribeiro, coach of Baniyas, said, “We anticipate tomorrow’s contests to be markedly different. We have developed a strategy that will catch opponents off guard and increase our chances of winning. This strategy will give Baniyas an edge to take the win and retain the title.”

Shining for Baniyas on Friday was Asma Alhosani, who overcame Sabha Taleb Almemari of Al Ain by submission in just 01:16 minutes into the match, said, “Today, our objective was to amass the maximum points and look for a submission from the beginning. We are confident that all the preparations we did won’t go in vain and we will emerge victorious, securing the cup for the fifth consecutive year."

Elsewhere, Saeed Al Kubaisi performed exceptionally well for Al Wahda club, defeating Khalid Alamro of M.O.D Academy by points. “Our achievement today did not come from nowhere, and tough fights like today’s are what highlight the nature of true champions,” Al Kubaisi said after the match. “Today, the Al Wahda team faced a group of experienced professional athletes, but thanks to our determination and hard training, we secured the spot in the finals. Tomorrow is a big day, and we hope to win the finals too.”