Sport
Martial Arts
Published: 12/12/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)
Encouraging response for Emirates Cup jiu-jitsu event
Staff Report
Abu Dhabi: More than 150 fighters are expected to be in the fray during this weekend's third Emirates Cup Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
The event will be held at the UAE Wrestling and Judo Federation auditorium at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club on Friday and Saturday with competitions starting at 2pm on both the days.
"More than 50 per cent of the entries are from the nationals and expatriates in the UAE. This year we have also managed to draw a good response from the region while fighters from Europe and North and South America will also be in the fray," said former world champion Carloa Santos.
Santos is also the event manager and the head coach of the Emirates team.
"We have received a lot of support from the Armed Forces Officers Club. Lieutenant General Mohammad Hilal Al Ka'abi, Deputy Chief of Staff and President of the UAE Athletics Federation, has extended a lot of support and it is thanks to such efforts that the numbers involved in this sport are growing in the UAE," the Brazilian said.
Santos said the UAE capital is set to become a permanent venue for the sport with the staging of the Emirates Cup and the Abu Dhabi International Championship annually.
"UAE fighters have been improving and we have won medals in the recent past. Eid Rehan Salem won the gold in the over-99kg category, while Gazi Saleh Al Minhali and Abdullah Hamed won silver and bronze, respectively, in the under-85kg section," he said.
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