MMA – TEAM Bahrain are set to be amongst 47 countries competing in the 2024 IMMAF Youth World Championships, set to begin in Abu Dhabi today.
Organised by the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) and hosted by the UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation, the five-day event is expected to make way for outstanding performances and fierce competition, with more than 800 male and female athletes participating.
Action will be held in three age categories: youth C (12 and 13 years old), youth B (14 and 15 years old), and youth A (16 and 17 years old).
Team Bahrain, coached by Renat Iusubov, have 11 fighters registered to be stepping into the octagon in the championship. Three each are in the youth C and youth A classes, and the other five in the youth B.
The youth C fighters are Hamad Almehri, Abdulla Hussain, and Duaij Ahmed. The youth A fighters are Aseel Almutawa, Mahamat Youssouf, and Khalid Alasad. The youth B competitors are Saood Salman, Yousuf Mercer, Hamad Mohseni, Abdulla Qahtan, and Khalid Alshaer. The Team Bahrain delegation also includes officials Ebrahim Aun and Husain Abdulla.
The event will be held at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City until Saturday.
UAE Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Federation board member and the federation’s Mixed Martial Arts Committee chairman Mohammed bin Dalmouj Al Dhaheri commented: “We are delighted to welcome the world’s most promising MMA champions to Abu Dhabi, a city that has become a role model for hosting major international sports championships.
“The UAE capital offers advanced infrastructure, world-class organisational expertise, a sports-loving audience, and rich cultural and tourist attractions. This combination creates an integrated experience that fulfils the aspirations of both athletes and fans.”
International delegations who arrived in Abu Dhabi also expressed their readiness for the challenge. Among them was National MMA Federation of Ukraine vice-president Anton Blank, who said: “Our team, consisting of 83 athletes and 37 coaches, is the largest participant in this championship.
“We have come well-prepared to compete and excel in various categories and weight divisions. Our goal is to win again, achieve a distinctive accomplishment, and defend our title for the fourth consecutive year.”
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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