Bahraini athletes experienced a gold rush in the AJP Tour Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2023 in the UAE capital with five clinching different titles and a sixth winning a bronze.
Dr Ahmed Al Aradi, 42, and Bader Jamal Aldoseri, 40, of Reza’s Martial Arts Centre (RMAC) won gold medals in the Master 3, below 120kg and Master 2, brown belt, 69kg categories, respectively.
Meanwhile, Elements Jiu- Jitsu Academy teammates Ali Monfaradi, 30, Ema Janahi, 48, and Monfaradi’s father, Seena, all also swept their opponents aside to nab gold medals.
Monfaradi triumphed in the Master 1, black belt, 77kg category while his father won in the Master 4, black belt, 62kg division.
Mother-of-three, Janahi fought her way to victory in the Master 1, blue belt, 48kg category while 18-year-old Abdulla Alshaikh nabbed a bronze medal in the adult, blue belt, 56kg category.
“I feel very happy to have won the gold medal in the world championship,” Al Aradi told the GDN by phone from Abu Dhabi.
“This is the result of hard work and daily training which enabled me to give my all in this big championship.
“I would like to thank my coaches, professor Reza and professor Robert and my teammates in the gym because, without their support, I wouldn’t be here.”
Aldoseri told the GDN in a separate call from Abu Dhabi that his victory in the world championship had propelled him to the world number one rank in his category.
“I’ve had a good run this year, winning big competitions and now, I’ve become the world champion in my category!” he said.
“And, also, because of this win, I have become the top-ranked athlete in my category!”
Monfaradi, who has won more than 200 medals in various competitions around the world since earning his black belt in 2017, told the GDN from Abu Dhabi that his category was one of the most competitive divisions in the tournament.
“Mine was one of the main event fights,” he said.
“This is also my first year as a ‘master’ and it’s been a bit up-and-down but this world championship was something that I, personally, and our team, overall, had been working towards all year.
“And, I made it! What makes it even sweeter is that my father also won gold on the same day, so it’s a double celebration.”
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