UAE Add Two More Ju-jitsu Golds, Saudi Arabia Break Their Run

UAE continued their dominant run in ju-jitsu at the Asian Games, winning two more golds in the men's -77kg and women's -52kg categories, while Saudi Arabia broke up the UAE's sweep with gold in the men's -94kg final.

In the men's -77kg final, UAE's fighter beat Jordan, with Kazakhstan and South Korea sharing bronze. Saudi Arabia then won the men's -94kg gold, beating South Korea, with UAE and South Korea sharing bronze. UAE closed out the session with a second women's gold of the day, winning the -52kg final against South Korea, with the Philippines and Thailand sharing bronze.

The results extend what has already been a near-total sweep of ju-jitsu's gold medals by the UAE at these Games, having also topped the podium in the men's -62kg, men's -69kg and women's -48kg finals earlier in the competition. Saudi Arabia's win in the men's -94kg category is one of the few to interrupt that dominance, continuing a pattern where the UAE's traditional strength in the sport, which originated in the Emirates and has been heavily invested in domestically, has translated directly into results on the biggest continental stage.

South Korea have been the most consistent nation on the podium behind UAE across the ju-jitsu programme, picking up a mix of silver and bronze medals across several weight categories, without yet managing to break through for a gold of their own in Nagoya.