The team obtained a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed as a result of winning eight medals in jiu-jitsu at the Asian Games.
The President always takes notice when UAE athletes win medals.
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On 22 October he received the UAE jiu-jitsu team in Abu Dhabi to celebrate their performance at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
In fact, the UAE jiu-jitsu team’s performance at the Asian Games was one of the best aspects of the country’s overall medal tally, which is why the full details are given below.
The Presidential Reception
The president welcomed the athletes who had won the medal, together with their coaches and administrative staff.
As reported by WAM, he congratulated the team on an outcome which was the result of the joint efforts of the players, the coaches and the administrators, and commended them for their determination in representing the country.
He also stated that the UAE regards the sports sector and backs its development and hoped that this achievement would encourage advancement in other sports. The athletes said that they felt proud and added that his support encourages them to continue. That is the warm aspect of the UAE jiu-jitsu Asian Games story.
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The Medal Count
The jiu-jitsu team secured eight medals, comprising five gold, two silver, and one bronze.
For the United Arab Emirates as a whole, the Games yielded 13 medals—seven of which were gold—and the country finished in 13th place out of the 45 participating nations.
These seven gold medals represent the highest number ever achieved by the UAE at the Asian Games, and the total of 13 medals surpasses the previous best result from the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Five of the seven gold medals and eight of the 13 medals were won by the jiu-jitsu team, demonstrating how central the UAE’s jiu-jitsu squad was to the country’s performance at the Asian Games.
The Gold Medallists
The five gold medallists from the UAE jiu-jitsu Asian Games squad were:
- Balqees Al Hashmi (women’s 48 kg)
- Asma Al Hosani (women’s 52 kg)
- Khaled Al Shehhi (men’s 62 kg)
- Ahmed Andeez (men’s 69 kg)
- Mahdi Al Awlaqi (men’s 77 kg)
Silver and Bronze
Al Anoud Al Harbi (in the women’s 48kg event) and Omar Al Suwaidi (in the men’s 62kg event) earned silver medals, with Amaar Al Hosani winning bronze in the men’s 94kg.
The medals obtained demonstrate how strong the UAE jiu-jitsu team is at the Asian Games beyond just the gold medallists.
A Record Games for the UAE
Jiu-jitsu was not the only sport to produce a success story since eighteen-year-old Mariam Kareem won the women’s 400 metres hurdles with a time of 54.31 seconds, setting a new Asian Games record.
Sheikha Latifah bint Ahmed Al Maktoum also secured her fourth medal at the Asian Games in the equestrian event.
Nevertheless, as eight of the 13 medals won by the UAE came from jiu-jitsu, the results in jiu-jitsu accounted for the largest portion of the total medal tally.
Why It Matters
The gold medallist Khaled Al Shehhi stated that “this medal marks the beginning of a long journey involving hard work”.
Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, who is president of the UAE Olympic Committee, described winning seven gold medals as a first in the history of the UAE.
Since the president hopes that this success will encourage other sports, the story of the UAE’s jiu-jitsu participation at the Asian Games is likely to be discussed for some time.
The Bottom Line
The UAE team in jiu-jitsu at the Asian Games has earned eight medals, received a welcome from the president, and set a record for the Games as a whole.
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