UAE’s national jiu-jitsu team delivered a stellar performance on the final day of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Championship in London, which concluded on Sunday at the Copper Box Arena. The team added 14 more medals — including nine gold, one silver, and four bronze — bringing their overall medal count to 24 and further solidifying the UAE’s position as a powerhouse in international jiu-jitsu.
The last day of the competition was dedicated to the professional division, where several standout athletes claimed top honors. Among the gold medalists were Obaid Al Ketbi (Al Ain Club), Harib Al Hammadi (Sharjah Self-Defence Sports Club), Fahad Al Hammadi and Mahdi Al Awlaqi (both from Baniyas Club), and Rashed Al Shehhi (Al Ain Club), all competing in the purple and brown belt categories across various weight classes.
Black belt champions included Omar Al Suwaidi (Al Wahda Club), Khaled Al Shehhi (Al Ain Club), and Shamma Al Kalbani (ADMA Academy), who delivered a standout performance in the women’s 62kg division.
Sultan Hassan of Baniyas Club secured a silver medal in the 69kg purple belt division, while bronze medals went to Sultan Jabr, Zayed Al Shamsi, Jassim Al Hosani (all from Al Wahda Club), and Faraj Al Awlaqi (Baniyas Club).
The London edition of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, organized by the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP), is one of the most prestigious stops on the global tour. This year’s competition drew over 1,500 athletes from 72 countries, highlighting the tour’s international prominence and the high level of competition.
In addition to offering crucial ranking points for qualification to the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the event reinforces the UAE’s role as a central hub in the global development of the sport. Athletes benefit from world-class refereeing, event organization, and extensive media coverage.
Sada Yoshi Kurimori, part of AJP Tour’s European organizing team, praised the event’s success: “This has been an outstanding experience for jiu-jitsu in Europe. AJP continues to elevate the sport globally. The London event featured intense matchups with top-ranked athletes, and we’re proud of the success it achieved in terms of both organisation and performance.
“We’re already working to increase participation next season — and we’re confident we can do it. We’ve grown to become the largest and most successful jiu-jitsu organisers in Europe, with over 67 events annually, and we aim to increase that to 120 in the coming years, potentially adding Portugal as a new stop.”
With continued strong performances and expanding global reach, the UAE’s jiu-jitsu community remains at the forefront of the sport’s evolution.
