Pakistan’s national Jiu-Jitsu team delivered a historic performance at the South Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2026 in Dagana, Sri Lanka, securing a total of 22 medals.
The team won 12 gold, five silver, and five bronze medals, marking one of the most successful performances in the country’s jiu-jitsu history. Several Pakistani athletes faced each other in final bouts, underlining the team’s dominance across multiple categories.
Young athletes played a crucial role in this success. Rishaal Khan, Zunaira Zulfiqar Ali, Ibad ur Rehman, and Rashid Ali stood out in the youth divisions, highlighting a strong pipeline of talent for future senior-level competitions.
In the Under-16 Ju-Jitsu Duo category, Zunaira Zulfiqar and Sundus Ali won gold. In the Under-18 category, Muhammad Abdullah Ali and Sundus Ali secured gold, while Ibad ur Rehman and Muhammad Abdullah Ali claimed silver.
In the adult duo events, M. Ali Rashid and M. Yousuf Ali won gold in the Duo Men/Classic category. Ali Rashid also partnered with Dr. Isra Waseem to claim gold in Duo Mixed. Kainat Arif and Isra Waseem earned silver in Duo Women/Show, while Rishaal Khan and Abdullah secured silver in Duo Mixed.
Pakistan also dominated the Show System categories. In the adult division, M. Yousuf Ali and Umer Yaseen won gold in Ju-Jitsu Show Men, while Kainat Arif and Isra Waseem secured gold in Show Women. Muhammad Ali Rashid and Isra Waseem added another gold in Show Mixed.
Beyond the duo events, Pakistani athletes performed strongly in the Fighting and Ne-Waza categories. Muhammad Ali Rashid won gold in the -62 kg category, Abdullah secured gold in the -77 kg category, and Kainat Arif claimed gold in the -57 kg category. Rishaal Khan earned silver in the -48 kg category and also added a bronze medal in Youth Ju-Jitsu. Zunaira Zulfiqar secured a bronze medal in the Under-16 -44 kg category.
Following the team’s success, Pakistan Ju-Jitsu Federation founder and president Khalil Ahmed Khan, along with Secretary General Tariq Ali, expressed their satisfaction. They credited the athletes’ hard work and dedication for raising Pakistan’s profile at the international level.
The federation also announced that gold medal-winning duos have been recommended for the President’s Award for Outstanding Performance. In addition, cash rewards will be given to medalists, and preparations will be intensified for upcoming World and Asian Championship events.
