Gulf News announced this week that a 14-member UAE squad will head to Tokyo on Wednesday to compete in the first round of the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour. Over 500 Jiu-Jitsu competitors from around the world are expected to take part in the event.
The first round of the event will be held at the Sumida City Gymnasium in Tokyo on August 29, to be followed by the second round in Los Angeles, California on October 18. The third round is scheduled to be held December 5 and 6 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro with the fourth and final round set in London for March of next year.
Faisal Al Ketbi will be leading the UAE challengers at the tournament. The black belt fighter will compete in both the open and weight categories.
Abdul Munam Al Hashemi, the Chairman of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, stated in an interview that the event marked a new beginning for the UAE federation and helps move it towards becoming more global. He also stated that the upcoming event will create a shift in their focus from consumers to decision makers.
