Abdullah Nada wins the 85 kg gold medal in jiu-jitsu at the Asian Games in Nagoya

The Saudi Jiu-Jitsu team continued to record its achievements at the 20th Games in Nagoya, Japan, after Abdullah Nada (19 years old) clinched the gold in the 85-kg competition, raising the green tally to 14 medals (3 gold, 2 silver, and 9 bronze).

Abdullah Nada won the gold medal in his first participation in the Olympics, after defeating his Mongolian counterpart, Altengril Bjarkhu, by submission in the eighth final, then his victory with the same score in the quarter-finals over Japanese Gwatsuki, and his superiority in the semi-finals over South Korean Mingyu Kim with a score of 6-2, and his sweep of Kazakhstan’s Miri Kabdulaev in the final with a score of seven clean, announcing his entry into the list of jiu-jitsu champions. Saudi Arabia, alongside his golden brother Omar, who won the 94-kilogram gold medal on Friday.

With Abdullah Nada's gold, the jiu-jitsu team concluded its third participation in the Asian tournaments, after being included for the first time in the "Jakarta Masters 2018", by winning 5 medals in the current edition (two golds, 3 bronze), in addition to two bronzes in the "Hangzhou Masters 2022".

Saudi player Abdullah Nada, who won the 85-kg gold medal, said that the victory achieved by his brother Omar in the 94-kg gold medal had a positive impact on his success in winning the second gold medal for the Saudi team in this game.

He stated in a special statement to Asharq Al-Awsat after the coronation that he prepared for this tournament with his brother through a year-long camp, noting that he succeeded in winning all the matches, the last of which was against the Kazakh player, and that he is happy to have achieved this gold medal in his first participation after his brother Omar had won two medals, the first a bronze in the Hangzhou Olympics, and the second in the current Olympics tournament.

He dedicated winning the gold medal to his homeland, to the Saudi team for all the support, to his parents, and to everyone who supported him in his career.

Abdullah is the youngest Saudi player to win a gold medal out of the 3 medals achieved in the current Masters tournament.

In turn, Rakan Al-Fuhaid, Executive Director of the Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation, confirmed that the players “did not fall short, and achieved honorable achievements in the Asian Games competitions in Nagoya.”

He explained in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that the ceiling of ambitions is always high in order to make the players provide the best and be up to the responsibility, indicating that what is coming is better.

He praised the support that Saudi sports, including jiu-jitsu, enjoy from the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, as this game is included in the incentive support for clubs.

Regarding the challenges ahead after the achievements achieved, he explained that this is an advantage of being a leader, living up to aspirations and achieving achievements, and what is coming is better, and the challenges are greater.

Meanwhile, Anas Orfali, President of the Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation, pointed out that the Saudi team’s completion of this game by winning 5 medals, including two gold and three bronze, represents an achievement for this sport in the Kingdom, indicating that the two brothers Omar and Abdullah Nada achieving the two gold medals, in addition to the trio Abdul Malik Al Mardi, Muhammad Al Huraymel, and Khaled Habab also achieving bronze medals, are unprecedented achievements.

He stressed in a special statement that there is also interest in the future and the Sunni groups in order to continue with more achievements in this game, especially since the names that have also achieved are still young.

Regarding the ceiling of ambitions, he said that they always seek to raise the ceiling of ambitions, and that they have achieved the ambitions, and it is important for them to continue progress and ambition. Because the Saudis always have a high ceiling.

Regarding the spread of the game across the Kingdom for men and women, he pointed out that there is a good spread of game players in all weights for men and women as well, but the goal is to expand the base as well.

Regarding the future of the game, specifically the upcoming Asian Games in Doha 2030, he said that the future is great for this game, especially since those who achieved achievements from the young groups, starting with the player Khaled Habab, who won a bronze medal at the age of 17 years, passing through Abdullah, who achieved gold at the age of 19 years old, and his brother Omar at the age of 21 years old, and the rest of the accomplished players.

On the other hand, the riders of the Saudi show jumping team topped the standings of the first day’s competitions for the first and second groups of the individual competition in the Asian tournament.

Equestrian Khaled Al-Mubti came in first place in the first group competitions held at a height of 1.45 metres, with a time of 74.38 seconds and without errors, leaving second place to his fellow knight Saad Al-Ajmi with a time of 75.18 seconds and without errors.

In the second group competitions, held at a height of 1.55 metres, jockey Abdul Rahman Al-Rajhi topped the ranking list, with a time of 72.87 seconds in a clean round, and jockey Ramzi Al-Dahami came in third place with a time of 73.95 seconds without errors.

The second round competitions for the two groups will be completed, starting at nine-thirty in the morning on Sunday for the first group, followed by the second group at eleven-thirty in the morning.

The organizing committee of the equestrian competition at the Asian Games had approved, for the first time in the history of the Masters, the holding of the individual competition, in a two-group system, with the distribution of 3 medals (gold - silver - bronze) for each group.