The UAE is fortunate to host a lot of magnificent sporting events. A Formula One Grand Prix, the Dubai Duty Free Championships, the Dubai Desert Classic and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship are among the high-profile events in the country’s packed sporting calendar.
The Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship may not be quite as glamorous, but it has steadily grown into one of the finest sporting contests hosted on these shores. While football remains the most popular sport in the UAE, jiu-jitsu is an emerging force. You only had to visit the IPIC Arena for the eighth edition in any of the last nine days to see why.
Three-time defending Black Belt Open champion Marcus Almeida did not even take to the mat after making a late withdrawal.
But his absence did not deter the crowd and the large attendance speaks volumes about how highly regarded this competition is.
After successful editions from 2009 to 2015, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF) wanted to go even further this year. For the first time, the competition was extended from six to 10 days with the Jiu-Jitsu World Festival and the Legends matches added to the schedule with a whopping Dh2.5m in prize money.
It was part of the UAEJJF’s vision to make this the best global competition – even better than the World Championships in California. Based on the quality of the last nine days, it seems they are on track to deliver that goal.
What a LEGENDARY day it has been! The landmark 8th edition of #ADWPJJC16 comes full circle in thrilling fashion pic.twitter.com/mFQvr2dg7U
— UAEJJF (@uaejjf) April 23, 2016
Seats were hard to find in the 3,000-capacity indoor arena as spectators of all ages cheered on the athletes. A raucous backdrop provided the perfect atmosphere that any athlete would want to drive them on.
As well as numbers that saw a record turnout of more than 6,000 competitors from all corners of the globe, the incredibly high level of action was another indicator of the event’s growing might.
It has expanded so much that not only do the best of the best flock to the UAE capital every year, but it is now considered hugely important for Emiratis.
This year alone, a total of 4,326 UAE nationals took to the mat in different weight categories across the age groups.
That is no surprise given that the sport is on the curriculum for schools in Abu Dhabi and that some of the world’s renowned coaches are flown in from Brazil and the US to conduct special training sessions.
The IPIC Arena has certainly played its role in making this a success. Since 2014, the venue has hosted the annual event and provides the best facilities for athletes and spectators, while IPIC and UAEJJF continue to promote the sport.
And if the UAEJJF wanted to make a statement of intent that Abu Dhabi is the place to compete, then they certainly did that by broadcasting the matches live.
Abu Dhabi Sports designated a special channel to beam the main bouts to not only those in the UAE but around the world through popular jiu-jitsu channels – FloGrappling TV and Combate TV.
Felipe Pena, the new Open champion in Black Belt, summed up the tournament by saying: “There are so many athletes who want to come here and Abu Dhabi treats this sport as a professional sport. It has to be among the best tournaments in the world.”
His words are a deserved tribute to all the hard work put in by the UAEJJF for a tournament that will only continue to go from strength to strength.
