ABU DHABI: The 14th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship kicked off on Friday at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Zayed Sports City with athletes from around the world taking part in the Kids and Para categories.
Running until Nov. 19, under the patronage of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE, one of the largest and most prestigious events on the global calendar will see 5,000 athletes from more than 100 nations competing in the UAE capital.
Friday’s action saw athletes in the Kids 1,2,3, Infant, Junior, Teen, and Youth divisions, as well as those in the Para Jiu-Jitsu divisions, compete in a series of matches on 11 mats, and UAE topped the medal list with Kazakhstan and Russia occupying second and third places.
In the competition for academies and clubs, the UAEJJ Team took the lead while the Kazakhstan National Academy emerged as runner-up, followed by Team Gladiators in the third place.