A 16-year-old Bahraini made the kingdom proud yesterday by winning a gold medal on the first day of the Abu Dhabi Jiu Jitsu Pro (AJP) Tour’s Fujaira International Pro-GI tournament in the UAE.
Abdullah AlShaikh, who is part of a 17-member Bahraini club contingent participating in the competition, won both his fights in the Youth Men’s GI/White/55kg category to win his first ever gold medal.
“Abdullah was outstanding in both his fights and deserved to win gold,” star Bahraini martial artist, Ali Monfaradi, who is leading and coaching his club’s team in the tournament, told the GDN by phone from Fujaira.
“He is a unique talent. I had a good feeling about him the first time I saw him come to train at my club. Hopefully, this is the first of many accolades he will win for Bahrain in the future.”
Monfaradi, 28, who has won more than 150 medals in competitions around the world, including in AJP Tour events, added that his team would hopefully win more medals in the tournament’s second and final day, today.
The AJP Tour, which started in 2009, holds more than 80 events on six different continents every year.
AlShaikh’s gold medal was one of four medals won overall by members of Monfaradi’s team.
“It was a good day for us,” the champion jiu jitsu exponent said. “Apart from Abdullah’s gold, we also won two silvers and a bronze medal in different categories.”
The two silver medals were won by Brazilian Dante Cano and Irishman Thomas Kielly and the bronze by Bahraini Tariq Amin, Monfaradi added.
“These were all first-time medals for Abdullah, Tariq and Thomas,” he continued. “Out of these four, only Dante, who just turned 30 and is an experienced jiu jitsu fighter, has won medals before.”
Kielly won his silver medal after four fights in the Men’s GI/Blue/Master One/69kg category, Monfardi said.
“Dante won his silver medal in just one fight in the Men’s GI/Black/Master One/94kg category,” he added. “And Tariq won his bronze after three fights in the Men’s GI/Blue/Master Two/85kg division. These four have made us all proud!”
He was hopeful, Monfaradi declared, that his team would win even more medals today.
As for himself, the globe-trotting star, who has already competed in various AJP Tour and other tournaments around the world this year, is preparing to participate in what he calls the ‘most high-stakes’ competition he will ever take part in.
Monfaradi is heading to the World Games, an international, multi-sport event organised with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which starts on July 7 in Birmingham, Alabama, in the United States.
The 11-day event will feature 30 official sports, including a two-day jiu jitsu competition which starts on July 15.
“I am hoping to get to Birmingham by July 11th,” Monfaradi said. “That will give me some time to train over there. I’m really looking forward to participating in the event but, honestly, this will be the most high-stakes competition I will ever have taken part in.”
But he was confident that he could do well, he added.
“I’m in the best shape of my life,” Monfaradi declared. “I’ve had some time off since I won two gold medals in the AJP Tour’s Croatia National Pro tournament in early June. I’ve been training hard since then and look forward to being at my best in the competition.”
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