The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has announced a programme to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Abu Dhabi Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which will be held in Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City from April 16 to 28.
The championship coincides with the Year of Zayed, which celebrates the life of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE. The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation was inspired by Sheikh Zayed’s principles and values, and his vision to preserve the customs and traditions of his people, while having an open world view based on tolerance, cooperation, and peace.
To mark this occasion, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has launched “Champion Within”, an initiative that aims to inspire people to find the hero inside them through discovering their true potential and, in doing so, positively motivate the next generation of Heroes.
Abdul Moneim Al Hashemi, President of the UAE and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federations and vice-president of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation, said: “The essence of this initiative reflects the success story of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation itself, which began years ago, when we still had no headquarters, and our training sessions and meetings were held at homes or in training areas.
“We are grateful for the support of our government and passion and commitment of everyone involved to not only lead us to establish the UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation as an official entity, but help it grow into the highly-respected authority that it is today – on both a local and international level.”
He added: “Everyone who has worked with the Federation since its inception is a champion. Every player who believed in this sport, overcame their challenges, and contributed to putting the name of the UAE on the global map for Jiu-Jitsu is a champion and a role model for the next generation. These champions have had the determination to train consistently no matter what, and overcome obstacles such as fatigue, to reach their goals – and they continue to do so. Now, we invite everyone to support and encourage them from the stands, so that they can aim for gold at the 10th Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.”
The 13-day tournament will see various top players from around the world with a prize money of $1 million.