More than one hundred grapplers from around the country will converge on the Armed Forces Officers’ Club (AFOC) tonight for the third annual No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Cup.
The event is part of the 14th annual AFOC Ramadan Games Open Sports Festival, and is organised by the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Team.
Spectators are sure to enjoy the technical aspect of submission fighting as well as some great grappling manoeuvres from chokes to arm and leg locks and maybe some take downs as well. Some of the country’s best grapplers from a wide range of nationalities will compete for little more than bragging rights.
Weight classes are under 65kg, under 74kg, under 83kg, under 92kg, over 92kg and open weight. First prize in each weight class is dirham 8,000 and second prize is 2,000.
The Cup will also showcase some of the up and comers in the sport with a division for beginners with less than six months experience.
The weight classes for beginners are under 63kg and over 63kg.
Prize money is set at 3,000 for first place in each weight class and 1,000 for second place in each weight class.
“We are very happy to participate in the Ramadan Games and we would like to thank AFOC for supporting this sport,” Carlos Santos of the Emirates Jiu-Jitsu Team told newspaper “Gulf News”. “Participation for this year’s cup is about the same as last year. Now that Ramadan takes place in the summer it is getting harder to find fighters as most people are on vacation,” Santos explained.
The tournament will begin tonight at 9pm, Abu Dhabi time, at AFOC.