The UAE won three gold medals and two silvers in jiu-jitsu at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, with two finals contested entirely by Emirati athletes.
Khaled Al Shehhi successfully defended his Asian Games title in the men’s 62kg division, beating UAE teammate Omar Al Suwaidi in the final. Al Suwaidi took silver to complete a one-two finish for the national team.
Ahmed Andeez added a second gold in the men’s 69kg category at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall in Nagoya.
Balqees Abdulla then won the women’s 48kg title after facing Al Anoud Al Harbi in another all-UAE final. Al Harbi collected silver.
The results gave the UAE five medals from the opening day of jiu-jitsu competition, which runs until October 3 in Nagoya.
They also lifted the UAE’s overall Asian Games tally to seven medals, with four golds and three silvers.
Jiu-jitsu has been one of the UAE’s strongest Asian Games sports in recent editions. At Hangzhou 2022, Asma Al Hosani became the first Emirati woman to win Asian Games gold in the sport when she took the women’s 52kg title.
The UAE will have further medal opportunities on Friday, when competition continues in the women’s 52kg and men’s 77kg and 94kg divisions.
