The UAE national age-group judo team wrapped up their performance at the Arab Open Judo Championships in Kuwait with a haul of 29 medals. The event, held at the Kuwait Club Sports Hall from October 5 to 9 under the oversight of the Arab Judo Federation, saw the UAE squad secure nine gold, 10 silver, and 10 bronze medals.
Following an initial surge of 14 medals from the cadet team at the tournament’s opening, the youth competitors added another 15 medals to the tally. In the men’s category, three athletes captured gold: Masoud Al Mismari in the under-55kg weight class, Abdulrahman Ganiev in the under-60kg division, and Rashid Nematov in the under-81kg weight class. Mohammed Al Shamsi earned silver in the over-100kg division, while bronze medals were awarded to Manea Al Zaabi and Hamid Al Shamsi (both 55kg), Hamdan Al Mazmi (73kg), Yousuf Al Awad (under-81kg), and Butti Al Hashemi (60kg). Following the strong start by the cadet team at the opening of the championship, when it won 14 medals, the national team’s young men and women added 15 medals yesterday.
The women’s competition resulted in six medals for the UAE. Five athletes claimed silver, including Aisha Al Mazrouei (44kg), Nouf Saeed (under-48kg), Hoor Yousuf (under-57kg), Hessa Al Zaabi (under-70kg), and Sara Johar (under-63kg). Meera Ahmed rounded out the group with a bronze medal in the 48kg category.
Mohammed bin Thaloub Al Derie, President of the UAE Judo Federation, lauded the team’s success, noting that the results validate the effectiveness of their international training camp held in Tashkent. Al Derie stated that the federation remains committed to its long-term development programs, aiming to build a deep bench of talent through enhanced cooperation with local clubs to ensure UAE athletes remain competitive on the international stage.
