Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship postponed to 2021 due to coronavirus

UAEJJF's flagship event will now take place in February 2021

Faisal Al Ketbi, right, in action during the 2019 Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship at Mubadala Arena. Reem Mohammed / The National

The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship has been postponed for a second time due to the coronavirus pandemic, organisers said.

The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation's flagship tournament, more popularly known as the World Pro, was originally due to be held in April before the outbreak of novel virus forced a postponement. A new date was set for November 18-21, but with cases still on the rise - with more than 40 million cases worldwide - the federation announced Wednesday it will now take place from February 23-27, 2021.

“The championship has been postponed again to ensure athletes from across the globe get a fair opportunity to participate and win, and the UAEJJF board of directors has set a new date,” the federation tweeted.

The World Pro is the season-ending event and highlight of the UAEJJF’s worldwide calendar. The championship is followed by a gala awards ceremony to crown the world champions.

The championship, now in its 13th season, drawd thousands of competitors from across the world and is the richest jiu-jitsu championship with a prize purse of Dh2.5 million.