Category: Athletic

ABU DHABI: Preparations for the 8th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship, scheduled to run from May 3 to 8 at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City, are nearing completion, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has announced. The competitions, which will attract 1,500 athletes from over 30 countries, are hosted by Abu Dhabi for the second time in the last three years.

The championship, organised by the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and hosted by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, is set to showcase the pinnacle of jiu-jitsu talent on the continent. With the participating delegations set to start arriving soon, the organising team is putting the finishing touches on their plans.

Abdullah Al Zaabi, Head of the Events and Activities Section at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, extended his gratitude to the wise leadership of the UAE for their vision and support, which has led to Abu Dhabi becoming one of the leading hosts for major international sporting events.

‘Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship for the second time in thr
ee years reflects UAEJJF’s keenness to promote the sport and take it to greater heights,’ said Al Zaabi.

He also reiterated the commitment of the federation to deliver a world-class event befitting Abu Dhabi’s status as the ‘World Jiu-Jitsu Capital.’

‘Preparations for the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships are being conducted in close coordination with strategic partners, including Abu Dhabi Police, Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi airports, as well as the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi. Every detail has been meticulously arranged, from welcoming guests at airports to ensuring their pleasant stay, in accordance with the renowned Emirati hospitality culture,’ Added Al Zaabi.

He further emphasised the extensive support infrastructure in place, with 300 dedicated volunteers ready to assist in welcoming the participating delegations at the airports and guide them to the designated hotels for their stay, where an information desk will operate around the clock to provide guests with information about the
championship. The volunteer teams also assist in coordinating the entrance and exit of the audience and organizing attendance in the stands, and regularly operate a set of buses that connect the hotels of the participating delegations with the championship hosting site.

The organising committee has ensured the provision of designated training areas for the participating teams before the start of the competitions, and comprehensive health services including a full clinic and ambulance services, in addition to securing taxis at the event location, as well as coordinating with the Abu Dhabi Police events committee to ensure security and safety standards.

The UAEJJF is also working closely with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to create a dedicated fan zone which features an array of fitness-related activities, cultural elements, and a sports wellness area, while there will also be merchandise outlets and a wide selection of culinary delights.

Elsewhere, Alexandre Nascimento, Head Referee for
the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships, said: ‘This edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships is the largest gathering of Asian Jiu-Jitsu athletes we have seen since we introduced the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships eight years ago. A total of 1500 athletes from over 30 countries will be competing over six days.

‘The competitions, starting at 9 am, will unfold across five large mats. To manage the extensive schedule of the competitions, we’ll have 30 referees working daily, supported by 30 technical support staff members handling various aspects of the competitions, including overseeing the fight order, publishing results, assisting with the medals ceremony, and more.’

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI: Adding another feather to their cap, Emirati athletes continued their impressive showing at the first Gulf Youth Games UAE 2024 as they added a record-breaking 37 medals on the twelfth day.

This remarkable feat established a new record for the highest number of medals attained in a single day since the tournament commenced on April 16.

The UAE is currently hosting the inaugural edition of first-ever Gulf Youth Games, under the theme “Our Gulf is One… Our Youth is Promising.’

Kicked off on16th April and ending on May 2, this event brings together a remarkable 3,500 young athletes, including males and females, competing in a diverse range of 24 sports disciplines.

In 12 competitions took place on Saturday, the UAE secured 18 medals in karate, 10 in swimming, four in judo medals, three in archery, two in cycling medals. This splendid performance further solidified their position atop the medal standings. Their overall tally now stands at 231 medals, comprising 73 gold, 86 silver, and 72 bronze.

Sau
di Arabia also saw an increase in their medal count, reaching 93 in total, with 40 gold, 33 silver, and 20 bronze. Kuwait followed closely behind in third place with 89 medals, including 23 gold, 31 silver, and 35 bronze. Bahrain secured fourth place with 57 medals, boasting 19 gold, 15 silver, and 23 bronze. Qatar advanced to fifth place with 42 medals, consisting of 17 gold, 10 silver, and 15 bronze. Oman secured sixth place with 46 medals, comprising 17 gold, 10 silver, and 19 bronze.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ASTURIAS: A sprint in the rain gave UAE Team Emirates’ Antonio Morgado his second victory as a pro.

After the success obtained last Sunday in the Giro di Romagna, the Portuguese cyclist won stage 2 of the Vuelta Asturias, preceding Albert Torres (Movistar) and teammate Isaac Del Toro, who continues his leadership in the general classification.

The race, which started from Ribeira de Arriba and rolled for 200 km to Ribadesella on a course with one 2nd category climb and five 3rd category hills, the last one at 40 km to go, was controlled perfectly by UAE Team Emirates, that gave freedom to a five riders breakaway, before neutralizing that action at -20 km.

The solo attempt by Samuel Fernandez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), was neutralised by the Emirati team, and set up the final sprint in which Antonio Morgado prevailed thanks to a powerful acceleration.

This is the 28th victory of the season for UAE Team Emirates, and tomorrow they will try to defend the leader’s jersey of Isaac Del Toro in the final stage at
Benia de Onis-Oviedo (140 km): the main opponent will be Josè Manuel Diaz (Burgos-BH), who is 3rd at 1’09’, while in second place there is Del Toro’s mate Rafal Majka.

Commenting on his win, Morgado said, ‘The race was long and the day cold and with a lot of rain. The team trusted me, and all my mates did a great performance in trying to give me the opportunity to win, so I tried to sprint exploiting a super good lead-out.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

Kuwaiti powerboat team made two achievements in the first round of the 2024 World Championship Endurance, organized by the International Powerboat Federation in the Spanish city of Sanxenxo, which concluded its competitions Sunday.

Head of the Kuwaiti delegation, head of the speedboat, wakeboard, and freediving committee at the Kuwaiti Marine Sports Club, Ali Al-Shamali, said that world champions Bader Al-Dosari and his assistant, Mohammed Al-Essayie, won second place in the “Production Boat Class” category (B) for single-engine boats with a power of 300 horsepower.

He added that world champion Khaled Karam and his assistant Adel Al-Sharidah won third place in the Promotion Class category (P) for single-engine boats with a power of 150 horsepower in the two-day tournament in the Galicia region in northeastern Spain.

Al-Shamali expressed his joy for the two wins, which witnessed great competition, a distinguished presence from all the contestants, and wide public attention.

The Kuwaiti team competed with o
thers from several countries, including Belgium, the United Kingdom, Malta, Italy and Spain, in the first round of the 2024 tournament, which consists of three rounds, with the second round scheduled to take place in Belgium next June.

Source: Kuwait News Agency

Doha: Al Arabi was crowned champion of the Qatar Volleyball Cup for the season 2023-2024 after defeating Al Rayyan by 3-1 in their match at the Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) hall today, which hosts all the tournament matches.

The results of the match were 25-19, 25-27, 28-26, 27-25.

Al Arabi won the trophy, gold medals and a financial prize worth QR 250,000, while Al Rayyan received silver medals and a financial prize of QR 150,000.

With today’s victory, Al Arabi achieved the eighteenth title in the history of its participation in the tournament, as it won its first title in the 1990-1991 season, and its last title was in the 2019-2020 season.

Al Rayyan won 12 titles in this tournament, and its last title win was in the 2021-2022 season.

President of the Qatari and West Asian Volleyball Associations Ali Ghanim Al Kuwari praised the level of the teams in the tournament as well as the strength of the competition in the semi-final matches, especially today’s match, which witnessed strong competition be
tween Al Arabi and Al Rayyan.

He stressed that the competitions of the current season were strong and the league which the Arab won its title witnessed matches and advanced levels of teams, indicating that the QVA is now preparing to organize the final rounds of the Amir Cup, which will see the participation of 8 teams in the quarter-finals after strong competitions in the preliminary round. He expected strong matches for the final match to win the most prestigious titles of the QVA tournaments.

Source: Qatar News Agency

Doha: Vice President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), President of Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, took part, virtually, in the 89th ANOC Executive Council meeting held in Athens, Greece on Saturday.

Chaired by the President of the ANOC, Dr. Robin E. Mitchell, along with members of the ANOC executive council, the meeting discussed an array of topics, foremost of which were the latest preparations for the Olympic Games of Paris 2024, ANOC’s strategic plan, as well as the reports submitted by the continental associations and various committees to the QOC on the latest programmes and initiatives.

Source: Qatar News Agency