- UAE triumphs over Bahrain in exciting encounter in the padel team competition
- American Isaiah Thomas and Russian Olga Kopeko win the 400m steeplechase title
DUBAI: Emirati athletes excelled in the Jiu-Jitsu Championship, securing the highest number of medals in the competitions held as part of the 13th edition of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament being held at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex.
Touted the premier sporting event held during the holy month of Ramadan, the annual tournament is organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, under the slogan ‘Limitless Capabilities'.
Remarkable Emirati show in Jiu-Jitsu
Emirati athletes dominted the medal standings alongside their Brazilian counterparts in the Jiu-Jitsu Championship. While the final results proved the superiority of the young Emirati schools in the junior and youth categories, it was a very strong display by the Brazilians in the various technical categories and weight classes, ensuring the championship resembled a mini-World Cup in this sport.
His Excellency Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, and Abdullah Al Zaabi, Director of Events at the Jiu-Jitsu Federation, crowned the winners of the top positions in the various categories.
Al Dhaheri insisted that this championship contributes to achieving the federation's goals of expanding the base of participation and raising the readiness of players for international competitions in the future.
The championship saw the distribution of 46 medals across various categories (16 gold, 15 silver and 15 bronze), and the results reflected the significant effort invested in developing this sport locally at the grassroots level.
In the junior girls' category (44 kg), Brazilian Manuela Souza took first place, followed by Emiratis Alyazia Al Remeithi and Mahra Badr in second and third place, respectively, confirming the strength of the Emirati female base in this sport.
In the 52kg junior girls' category, Brazil continued its dominance with Isabella Shalabi winning gold, ahead of Russia's Vera Kigel and Brazil's Sofia Marinho. In the 63kg category, the UAE's Haya Al Ahmar took first place, while India's Farnaz Derakhshandeh finished second and Morocco's Jannate Naji came in third. In the 75kg category, the UAE's Buthaina Al Azeezi was simply too gold while helping herself to the gold.
In the junior boys' competitions, the UAE's dominance was evident with Saoud Al Balushi winning gold in the 46kg category, ahead of Brazil's Vitor Rodrigues and Canada's Aly Etman. In the 55kg category, Brazil's Breno Pittizer won gold, ahead of France's Ibrahim Abu Rabi and Egypt's Ali Abdel Aziz.
Brazil also secured gold in the 66kg category through Jo?o Pedro Cosendey, while the 80kg gold went to the Netherlands' Jamil Abdulwahid Moumni.
In the junior categories, the UAE was once a force to contend with as Shamma Mohammed Al Mansouri winning gold in the 44kg weight class, Aisha Al Hammadi topping in the 75kg class, Saif Al Balushi in the 52kg class, Hamdan Al Najjar in the 62kg class and Abdullah Andeez in the 73kg class. This impressive Emirati haul reflects the success of national programmes that have consistently aimed at developing the sport in schools and clubs.
Intensity in Padel Team
The Nad Al Sheba Padel Championship for teams is nearing its decisive group stage with matches characterised by close competition along with a high level of skill, providing the audience with some impressive displays of talent.
In the first match, the UAE team secured a 2-1 victory over Bahrain. The UAE dominated from the outset, with the duo of Fares Al Janahi and Sergio Icardo winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-0. Despite Bahrain's attempt to rally with a victory from the pairing of Ali Dawani and Hussein Dawani, the UAE ultimately prevailed thanks to Ignacio Villarino and Abullah Al Abdullah securing a decisive 6-0, 6-1 win in the decider.
In one of the most exciting matches, Iran triumphed over Saudi Arabia 2-1. The sets were very close, with Iranians Arya Roghani and Ali Taghizadeh winning the opener. Although Saudi Arabia's Faisal Al Ribdi and Abdulrahman Al Azzam drew the teams on level terms, Iran ultimately managed to secure the third match and an overall victory.
Meanwhile, Egypt displayed a balanced and organised performance while powering to a 3-0 win over Lebanon. The Egyptian players were characterised by their composure and high level of concentration, not dropping a single set in their three matches, making them strong contenders as the competition heads towards its business end.
In the fourth match, Morocco defeated Kuwait 2-1 after a highly-competitive performance, particularly in the final match, in which Ali Makwar and Khalil Outaleb secured a firm result for the Atlas Lions.
Enthralling obstacle course race
American Isaiah Thomas retained his 400m Obstacle Course Race title for a second successive year, winning first place with a time of 2 minutes and 28 seconds. Russian Nikita Khaydukov had to stay content with the second spot in as many years with a best time of 2.40, while his countryman Evgenii Stoyakin came in third (2.42).
In the women's category, Russian athletes dominated the podium with Olga Kopeiko taking the top spot with a time of 3:46, followed by Norwegian Signe Karoline Kulst in second (3.59), and Russian Alisa Petrova in third.
Hassan Al Mazrouei, Director of the tournament and Adel Al Bannai, Chairman of the tournament's technical committee presented the awards to the champions, praising the high level of physical performance demonstrated by the participants from various nationalities. Al Mazrouei emphasized that the championship finals showcased remarkable physical prowess, as this sport relies on explosive power and speed to overcome obstacles.
Packed schedule ahead
The coming days hold plenty of excitement at the 13th Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament.
The 3x3 basketball will also continue and the final has been scheduled for March 3, while while the Wheelchair Basketball is being staged as usual at the Dubai Club for People of Determination in Al Ghusais. After the preliminary round matches, the competition will move into decisive rounds with the semi-finals to be held on March 2, the third-place match on March 3 and the final on March 4 in the main hall of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex.
The Tug-of-War preliminary rounds will commence on March 1 and run on till the final March 6. The ever-popular volleyball competition will start on February 26 with participation from teams and players from major international clubs. The semi-finals have been slated for March 5, the third-placed match on March 6, while the tournament will conclude with the final on March 7.
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