Picking up another jiu-jitsu medal in a local competition has become little more than a routine for Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Wadima Al Yafei and the Hanaei sisters Maha and Mahra.
They won gold medals two days in succession on Friday and Saturday, in the Mother Of Nation Round 2 exclusively for female competitors, and the President’s Cup Round 2 in Abu Dhabi.
The results should not have come as too much of a surprise as all four of them are members of the UAE national women’s team.
Al Matrooshi, 17, acknowledged the opposition are not as strong as in the international circuit but insisted they can only compete against who they come up with in the competitions.
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“As members of the national team squad we can’t be sitting out of the local competitions,” said the bronze medallist at the recent Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
“I want to compete in as many competitions as I can. And that’s not all, I want to win every competition.
“In combat sports, nobody is guaranteed a win. It’s always hard work because you never know what kind of opponent you come across.
“In the two most recent competitions, I had a fair idea of the opponents but you can never take any of them as easy.
“Having said that, I still try to make it a lot harder for myself by competing in the heavier categories than my actual weight division, which is from 63 to 66.”
Al Matrooshi bagged the blue belt 70kg for juveniles in the Mother Of Nation competition defeating Latifa Al Mansoori in the final. She got the better of Mariam Al Ameri in the President’s Cup in the same division.
Al Yafei, 17, and Mahra Al Hanaei, 16, both joined her teammate Al Matrooshi in completing the double in the two competitions while Maha Al Hanaei, 18, claimed double gold in blue belt 55kg for adults.
Hessa Al Mazrouei of Al Dhafra Club bounced back from her defeat to Hessa Al Shamsi in the blue belt 63kg juveniles in the Mother Of Nation to clinch gold in the President’s Cup on the following day.
She overcame Afra Hassan Al Ali in the blue belt 63kg for aspirants U18 after defeating her two earlier opponents to reach the final.
Al Ain Club topped the President’s Cup points table followed by Al Jazeera and Al Wahda in second and third respectively.
Al Ain amassed 704 points from Round 2 to take their overall tally to 1,352. Jazira are on 866 and Wahda on 811.