UAE wins more medals at Bahrain Youth Asiad with jiu-jitsu gold and silver, raising total count to 21 overall.
MANAMA: The UAE national jiu-jitsu team delivered a stellar performance at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, lifting the country’s medal count to 21. The standout moment came when Obaid Al Ketbi captured gold in the 56kg category after a commanding win over Kazakhstan’s Ulikhan Aldiyar.
Salem Al Qubaisi added to the tally with a silver medal in the 62kg category, narrowly losing to Kazakhstan’s Batyrbek Abdulla in a tightly contested final. These victories have helped the UAE maintain its sixth-place ranking overall and remain the top Arab nation in the medal standings, just days before the Games conclude.
The UAE now holds 9 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals. China continues to dominate the leaderboard with 105 medals, followed by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Among Arab nations, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Bahrain trail behind the UAE in 13th, 14th, and 15th places, respectively.
Elsewhere in the competition, UAE’s Rayan Malhan impressed in badminton, advancing to the semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Indonesia’s Jin Maharishil. He is set to face China’s Xu Ji Ning next.
In cycling, Sultan Al Hammadi put on a commendable effort in the road race, finishing eighth among 69 Asian competitors, clocking in at 2:24:15.
