Great expectations for UAE’s jiu-jitsu stars ahead of ‘most intensive’ new season

ABU DHABI: As the start of the new UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation season approaches, the preparations of the country’s top athletes are well underway in the quest to maintain recent international success.

Emirati athletes have been undertaking intensive training programs supervised by technical staff from the national team, as well as local academies and clubs, said national team coach Ramon Lemos.

The upcoming season, which starts on Feb. 12, promises to be another busy one for the UAE’s leading fighters as they prepare to compete in major international tournaments, including July’s World Games in the US, September’s Asian Games in China, October’s Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in the UAE capital, and November’s Abu Dhabi World Professional Championship.

Lemos, the UAE national team’s Brazilian coach, welcomed the new calendar, which features a mix of local and international tournaments.

He said: “We are starting the new season at a point where we will need a lot of physical training, technical sessions, and mental and psychological work to refine and grow our champions.

“The technical staff of the national team and coaches of state-level clubs and academies are eager to keep ahead of the latest international training practices developing daily. They also want to adopt high-efficiency physical training programs that can improve their flexibility, speed, balance, and focus in the heat of competition.”

He also thanked the UAEJJF for its planning and efforts in designing tournaments that genuinely contributed toward improving the overall level of competitions, as well as expanding the base of participants, which he pointed out would help players and clubs improve their rankings. The national team’s success in achieving