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UAE’s Zamzam Al-Hammadi emerges as world-class MMA and jiu-jitsu talent

ABU DHABI: Zamzam Al-Hammadi has emerged as one of the most promising MMA and jiu-jitsu athletes in the UAE after securing gold medals at both the IMMAF Youth World Championships at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi and the JJIF World Championship YOUTH in Astana, Kazakhstan. Her performance in Abu Dhabi marked a significant milestone in the evolution of mixed martial arts in the UAE, as she became the nation’s first female world champion. In the 52 kg final, she secured a unanimous points victory over Ukraine’s Kira Voliashchenko. Adding to her accolades, Al-Hammadi clinched gold in the under-18, 52 kg division at the JJIF World Championship YOUTH held in Astana last week. “Honestly, jiu-jitsu and MMA are quite different, but jiu-jitsu has helped me a lot in MMA.

Kolo Muani refuses to train with Eintracht as he pushes for transfer to PSG

PARIS: France forward Randal Kolo Muani refused to train with Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday and is pushing for a transfer, the German Bundesliga club said Wednesday. Reports in French media said Wednesday that Kolo Muani is already in Paris ahead of a potential move to Paris Saint-Germain, which are reshaping their attack after losing Lionel Messi to Inter Miami and selling Neymar to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. Kolo Muani told broadcaster Sky in Germany on Tuesday that he wants a move to PSG. “Striker Randal Kolo Muani today informed the Eintracht Frankfurt sporting management that he will not take part in today’s final training session ahead of the UEFA Europa Conference League qualification playoff second leg against Levski Sofia on Thursday,” Eintracht said in a statement. “He stated his intention to move clubs before the end of the transfer window on Friday night as the reason for his absence.” After joining Eintracht from Nantes, the speedy and skilful Kolo Muani impressed last season.

Iran bans weightlifter for life over handshake with Israeli

TEHRAN: An Iranian weightlifter has been given a lifetime ban by authorities in the Islamic republic after shaking hands with an Israeli competitor at an event in Poland, state media reported. Mostafa Rajaei, aged in his 40s, shook hands with Israeli weightlifter Maksim Svirsky on Saturday after they both stood on the podium at a World Masters championship in Wieliczka, Poland. “The weightlifting federation bans athlete Mostafa Rajaei for life from entering all sports facilities in the country and dismisses the head of the delegation for the competition, Hamid Salehinia,” the body announced in a statement cited by state news agency IRNA. Iran does not recognize Israel, its sworn enemy, and prohibits all contact between Iranian and Israeli athletes. According to the IRNA report, Rajaei “crossed the red lines of the Islamic republic” at the event where the Iranian delegation had been “sent with the support of the federation.” Rajaei is a former member of the Iranian national team and represented his country at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in 2015 in Thailand. In 2021, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged athletes “not to shake hands with a representative of the (Israeli) criminal regime to obtain a medal.” For years, Iranian athletes have managed to avoid meeting Israelis in competitions, often by getting disqualified or providing medical certificates testifying that they were unwell. Young chess prodigy Alireza Firouzja left Iran after the sport’s federation banned him from playing in the 2019 world championship for fear he would face an Israeli player.