Sharjah24 – WAM: The competitions of the second day of the 26th World Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Abu Dhabi today continued at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, with the participation of 2,000 athletes.
The championship’s second day was attended by Panagiotis Theodoropoulos, President of the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation (JJIF), Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF), Michael Korn, President of the German Jiu-Jitsu Federation and First Vice-President of the European Federation, Suresh Gopi, Vice President of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union, and several officials from national and regional federations, as well as Fahad Al Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the UAE and Asian Federations, and Joachim Thumbart, Director-General of the JJIF.
Abdul Monem Al Hashemi, President of the UAEJJF, held a meeting with Theodoropoulos, which was attended by officials from national and regional federations.
During, the meeting, Al Hashemi highlighted the support of the UAEJJF for the re-election of Theodoropoulos for the JJIF’s presidency.
The international federation’s congress will be held tomorrow morning in Abu Dhabi to elect its president, and to discuss several topics related to the future of the sport.
Al Hashemi’s announcement of his support for Theodoropoulos’ re-election had a great impact on the participants of the meeting, and many others declared their support for Theodoropoulos.
During the meeting tomorrow, the JJIF’s General Assembly will be briefed about the agenda of the championships held from 2018 to 2021, in addition to the plans of regional federations to develop the sport and events calendars for 2022-2023. The congress is also expected to approve Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the 27th World Championship in 2022, upon the request of national and regional federations and in light of the capital’s significant capacities to organise major tournaments.
The hosting of the congress in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship highlights its prominent global stature as the capital of jiu-jitsu and international decision-making.
The city is also home to the headquarters of the Asian and the international federations, as well as major international tournaments, including the Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu, the World Championship and national tournaments, totalling over 100 annually.
Michae Korn said he is delighted to return to Abu Dhabi. Speaking about the role of the UAEJJF in developing the game locally and internationally, he added the UAE is the cornerstone of the JJIF and regional federations in terms of promoting and developing the sport, as well as in drafting comprehensive strategies for its advancement.
"It is not easy for any country to host a world championship like this amidst the current circumstances. We appreciate the role of Abu Dhabi in hosting the championship, which has a wide participation, and we appreciate the support provided to the delegations in terms of obtaining entry visas, transporting them to their hotels, and carrying out medical tests. We thank everyone who made this event happen," Korn said.
"We are honoured to visit Abu Dhabi again, and we are very grateful to the event’s organisers at the UAEJJF and the JJIF for organising this major event, with the participation of over 6,000 athletes," said Suresh Gopi.
Joachim Thumbart noted that 55 expert referees will run the championship, and Hawk Eye will be used to resolve difficult calls.
"Competitions have started on a very strong note, and there is a great rivalry in the preliminary rounds between Austria, Germany, Thailand and Montenegro. As for the ‘newaza’ category, which has not started yet, we expect the UAE team to be a difficult opponent, because it is the holder of the title from the previous edition and has prepared well for the tournament," he added.
The World Jiu-Jitsu Championship is also celebrating Expo 2020 Dubai by displaying the event’s logo in prime positions inside the arena, while the UAEJJF will grant the fans the opportunity to visit Expo 2020 Dubai.
The championship is also celebrating the UAE’s Golden Jubilee by distributing flyers at the event. The organising committee is offering participants and visitors free medical tests on daily basis.
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