ABU DHABI- Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the 12th Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Professional Championship will take place from 11th to 17th April, 2020 at the Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City.

Abdulmonem Al Sayed Mohammed Al Hashimi, President of the UAE and Asian Jiu-Jitsu Federations and First Vice President of the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation, stressed that the support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for the UAE’s sports sector is due to his belief in the abilities of Emirati citizens to excel and achieve advanced positions in various regional and international sporting events. "The vision of the UAE’s leadership is our source of inspiration at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, and it encourages us to prepare a distinguished generation of qualified and remarkable talents in various sports," Al Hashimi said.

"The UAE has an international jiu-jitsu project, whose foundations were established by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed. Due to him, the sport has continued to achieve successes, leading to the participation of more people, especially in the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Professional Championship and other championships organised by the federation throughout the year," he added. He also noted that the 12th edition of the championship coincides with the year of preparation for the next fifty years, declared by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, adding that 2020 will see the launch of a leading national strategy to plan the country’s overall development over the next fifty years, as well as the preparations to celebrate the UAE’s Golden Jubilee in 2021.

Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, Vice President of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, expressed the federation’s appreciation for the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed for the event, as well as his keenness to support jiu-jitsu and strengthen the country’s stature in the sport. The federation is continuing its efforts to reinforce the country’s position on the world’s sporting map, he added, while highlighting the championship’s world class organisation and the federation’s future vision, supported by the country’s leadership, to ensure the country’s bright future.

The championship will bring to a close the 2019-2020 season, and an awards ceremony to be held on its sidelines will declare the leaders of the sport’s world rankings during a red carpet event.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2020.