ADWPJJC 2024: Youths put on promising performances as they pursue the gold

November 10, 2024

Bringing some of the best competitors from around the world to the modern Mubadala Arena, the Abu Dhabi World Championship 2024 is the place to be in the UAE. The competition began last Wednesday, November 6th, was opened with a Festival and then quickly followed with Parajiu-Jitsu matches on the following day.

With the two first days of the event concluded, the Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 was kicked off. Starting last Friday, November 8th, and extending until this Saturday, November 9th, the competition gave younger competitors the chance to make their way to Abu Dhabi and compete at a high level in the Jiu-Jitsu capital of the world. Between Infants, Juniors, and Teens, the tournament painted a very complete picture of what the sport's future looks like as these promising athletes leaped at the chance to gauge their evolution and hone their skills against one another. Check out below the highlights from the Abu Dhabi World Youth Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024.

Youth Men's GI / Purple / 55KG - Ernar Eraly vs Munkhjin Altangerel

Fighting out of Kazakhstan, the purple belt Ernar Eraly conquered the 55kg division. With two fights in the bracket, Ernar first got the better of Rashid Qayed in the semis, scoring 11-0 before finding the submission around the mid-point of the match. Then, in the final, Ernar went up against the Mongolian Munkhjin Altangerel in an explosive duel, with both sides clashing with no care for points. With his aggressive style, it didn't take long for Ernar to find his chance and lock his second submission with less than two minutes on the clock.

Youth Men's GI / Blue / 55KG - Jad Tabbara vs João Eduardo Lima

Representing Al Wahda Club Jiu-Jitsu Academy, the Lebanese Jad Tabbara overcame four opponents on his way to the 55kg title. After outscoring Shukhrat Tursunov and Mukhammad Assetuly, Jad locked a tight submission over Ramazanov Mukhammed in the semifinal and advanced to the last match. In the gold round, Jad went up against the Brazilian João Eduardo Lima in a very balanced match, with both athletes going toe-to-toe throughout the regulated time while avoiding any finish attempts. When the clock ran out, a narrow 2-1 score gave Jad Tabbara the win and the top spot on the podium.

Youth Women's GI / Blue / 44KG - Alanoud Alharbi vs Nikeisha Pascual

Entering a very diverse bracket in the competition, the Emirati Alanoud Alharbi dominated the 44kg division and conquered the gold in her homeland. Starting in the semifinal, Alanoud went up against Isabella Ladislau in a very one-sided match, scoring 10-0 before submitting around the two-minute mark. In the gold round, Alanoud was faced with the Filipino Nikeisha Pascual, a talented athlete who reached the final after two consecutive victories. The match, however, played out much like Alanoud's previous one, with the Emirati almost immediately seizing the lead on the scoreboard and controlling the flow of the duel, landing a 12-1 score before finding yet another submission halfway through the bout. With two submission wins in the tournament, Alanoud brought the gold medal to the Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club.

Boys GI / Junior / Yellow / 41KG - Daniel Barbosa vs Ali Abdelaziz

Hailing from Brazil, Daniel Barbosa was like a freight train going through the 41kg bracket. Also known as "Daniel 220v", a nickname he earned because of how energetic he is on the mats, the Brazilian yellow belt went on a rampage from the get-go, scoring multiple times and then submitting both Maxim Difu and Jawad El Mouchir on his way to the last match. Up against the Egyptian Ali Abdelaziz in the final, Daniel showed that he still had more than enough fuel for another show, scoring 18-0 before ultimately submitting his opponent around the two-minute mark.

With the Youth portion of the competition now completed, the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu gets ready to welcome the athletes from the Amateur category to the mats on November 10th and 11th. Watch the action live on TX7.com, and follow @ajptour to stay up-to-date on all the highlights of the tournament.