UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team Targets Strong Showing On Home Soil

With the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Sports City only days away, UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team head coach Ramon Lemos has revealed that keeping his players in the right mental state is his top priority

ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 14th Nov, 2019) With the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi’s Zayed sports City only days away, UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team head coach Ramon Lemos has revealed that keeping his players in the right mental state is his top priority.

The Brazilian coach believes the domestic squad is good enough to challenge the world’s best throughout the nine-day event, which is being hosted by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and takes place 16th-24th November, as long as the athletes’ collective mentality stays positive and balanced.

"I have seen how our athletes have developed and I think they all have the potential to perform really well. The team is extremely passionate about Jiu-Jitsu and representing the UAE; they are fired up to perform at a high level in front of the home crowd. They want to make the country proud," said Lemos.

With UAE athletes competing across Jiu-Jitsu World Championship categories of under-18 for boys and girls, under-21 for boys and girls, Masters, and Para Jiu-Jitsu, Lemos is focused on ensuring the collective mood within the training camp is positive and individual athletes are familiar with the game-plans their potential opponents may bring to the mat.

"My goal is to channel the passion and emotion into performance. Our athletes must be intelligent on the mat, use their strengths and analyse what their opponent is trying to do. It is important to keep their minds calm and avoid unnecessary ups and downs. We’ve worked on understanding our opponents, fixing our own mistakes, and I am confident that we will do very well," said Lemos.

With thousands of spectators expected throughout the Championship, star UAE athletes have revealed how home support only enhances their motivation to claim medals and podium places.

Faisal Al Ketbi, one of the UAE’s most decorated Jiu-Jitsu athletes, expects a lot of positivity from the Mubadala Arena stands when national team players take to the mats.

"It is always wonderful to compete and do well in front of your own people," said Al Ketbi. "There will be some pressure, but I think it will be a good sort of pressure; a motivation to push yourself more and give everything to justify the support."

Omar Al Fadhli - the 19-year-old UAE athlete who won gold in the 56-kg category at the 2018 Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Malmo, Sweden - is very happy to be competing in Abu Dhabi but stressed competing at home will not affect his mindset.

"I will be approaching the tournament just as I would an event in Sweden or Brazil. Yes, I’m looking forward to the support of the people of my country and I think it will give me a big boost, but I am focusing on getting myself ready, improving my technique and studying my opponents. That’s the only way I will challenge for gold again," said Al Fadhli.

Meanwhile, Khalifa Al Nassrati, a rising star on the UAE Jiu-Jitsu scene, is focused on sticking to his strengths and making intelligent decisions on the mat - words that will delight Head Coach Lemos. The 20-year-old, who competes in the 56 kg over-21 category, maintains the team’s structured training programme will yield dividends.

"I have paid a lot of attention to my technique during this training camp. I have developed a better understanding of my strengths and my goal is to turn practice into results. My aim is to make my country proud and win a World Championship gold," concluded Nassrati, who won gold at the recent Fujairah International Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship.