Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship set to take place in April

This year’s event takes place under strict adherence to health and safety measures due to Covid-19

The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship is set to take place in April. Ravindranath / The National

The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship will take place from April 6-9, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) announced on Wednesday.

The 12th staging of the championship was twice rescheduled before being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s event takes place under strict adherence to health and safety measures, with organisers insisting the well-being of athletes, officials and support staff being the top priority.

The federation was among the first sporting bodies in the region to pioneer a return to live competitive sport and has successfully organised a string of training camps and competitions featuring domestic and international fighters.

The championship, popularly known as the World Pro, will have the opening day be for juniors under 18 and the next day will feature the Masters competition, while fighters competing in the professional category will be in action April 8-9.

Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, vice president of federation, said the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the federation are confident the tournament has been organised with the highest regard for safety of everyone involved.

“Over the past year, we have successfully organised several championships and training camps, all with extremely high health and wellness standards,” he added.

“We have developed a comprehensive set of tried and tested protocols to ensure that these are maintained over the course of the tournament.

“I am confident that the experience gained from organising these high-quality events will enable us to successfully conduct the 12th edition of this prestigious championship.”

The championship has already received overwhelming interest from the international jiu-jitsu community and is another marker of Abu Dhabi’s position as the world’s jiu-jitsu capital.

Faisal Al Ketbi, the most decorated Emirati jiu-jitsu fighter, said that he was looking forward to participating in a championship after a long absence of international competitions.

“It will be great to welcome the leading jiu-jitsu fighters of the world to Abu Dhabi and to go toe-to-toe against some world-class athletes,” he said.

“We have been preparing keenly for the World Pro and we are glad that the federation has taken the decision to organise this tournament, which provides us athletes with a massive platform to test ourselves against the best in the world.”