ABU DHABI // To win the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship in 2010 was a source of great satisfaction for Luanna Alzuguir.
To win it for the second time, in 2011, was double delight. And Alzuguir said she would be ecstatic to win it a third time when the Dh3.5 million competition - the richest jiu-jitsu championship - gets underway today at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
"The Abu Dhabi event is well advertised in the world jiu-jitsu circuit and the most looked-forward-to event in Brazil," the 26-year-old Brazilian said.
"Everyone talks of the Abu Dhabi championship. It is biggest in terms of the prize money and now easily the biggest gathering of the top-class jiu-jitsu players. This is my third year and I see it bigger and better at every visit.
"I am fortunate to have won the Abu Dhabi world championship twice and I am here to win it again. It is one of the two world championships, beside the one in California, that everyone would like to have in their CV."
Alzuguir has won three world championships in California, two Abu Dhabi world titles, four Pan American titles and two European championships.
She also is the five-time Brazil champion. She qualified for the Abu Dhabi event in the Under 66kg female category from the trials in Brazil to earn the all-paid trip to the capital city.
"This championship doesn't get any easier," she said.
"There are more and more women arriving for the competitions and very soon they will match the men in numbers. It means more fights and the challenges are physically more demanding."
Alzuguir has been training in the sport for more than 17 years and has made it a living of it. She is a full-time athlete, instructor and lecturer in jiu-jitsu.
"Sometimes you get fortunate by doing what you like best," she said. "I got into jiu-jitsu when I was nine and now it's a full-time job for me. It is not lucrative but good enough for a living and, most importantly, it's something that I love to do."
Penny Thomas is South Africa's first jiu-jitsu world champion and last year's runner up in Abu Dhabi to Gabriela Garcia of Brazil in the Under 63kg class for women.
"Abu Dhabi is now the most-popular venue and everyone who arrived here has been working all year through to win this championship," Thomas said. "I already see a lot of new faces with the more familiar ones and would expect this to be tougher than last year."
For Fernanda Mazzelli, another Brazilian, it is her first visit. She qualified from the trials in the Under 72kg class.
"This is an opportunity to get into the limelight," she said. "I have been in the sport for 12 years and know what to expect in this championship."
Bernardo Faria, the 2010 men's world champion in the California competition, is looking to go one victory better than his third place in Abu Dhabi last year.
"My goal is to win the Abu Dhabi title," said the 25-year-old Brazilian, who will compete in the new Under 100kg class.
"The first day of the competition would be the most difficult because you have to go through several fights to reach the next day's final. Here, in Abu Dhabi, it could be between six to eight fights."
The two-day championship has drawn more than 600 competitors from 48 countries in the fourth staging of the event. Men and women compete in nine divisions in the white, blue, purple and black belt categories.
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Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
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It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
Tomorrow 2021
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
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Racecard
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
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FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
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