UAE win record 12 medals at MMA Youth World Championships

The UAE finished with a record 12 medals in the IMMAF Youth World Championships in Abu Dhabi to clinch fourth place in the overall table.

The historic haul included four golds, four silvers and four bronze, compared to four medals in last year's competition.

This year's competition saw UAE athletes Fahad Al Hammadi (Youth A/70.3kg division), Ghala Al Hammadi (Youth B/40kg division), Saif Alblooshi (Youth C/40kg division) and Zamzam Al Hammadi (Youth B/52kg division) win gold medals.

Ukraine topped the medals table with 11 golds, 16 silver and 14 bronze. They rounded off the final day of the four-day championships with two golds, a silver and a bronze.

The USA finished in second place with six golds, seven silvers and five bronze and Tajikistan were in third spot on six golds, three silvers and five bronze. The championships, held at the capital's Mubadala Arena, drew more than 600 athletes from 46 countries. It was the second year in a row that the UAE has hosted the event.

Brigadier Mohammed bin Dalmouj Al Dhaheri, board member of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation and chairman of the federation’s Mixed Martial Arts Committee, expressed his satisfaction with the success of the championships as well as the performance of the national team.

“The remarkable organisation and resounding success of the championship, which we proudly hosted for the second consecutive year, can be attributed to the unwavering support from the UAE’s visionary leadership and their continuous guidance for the country’s sports and athletes,” he said.

“The successful conclusion of the championships has once again solidified the UAE’s reputation as the world’s MMA capital.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to national team for