UAE's Asma Al Hosani makes history at Asian Games

The UAE's Asma Al Hosani made history on Friday as the country’s first woman to secure a gold medal in martial arts at the Asian Games.

On the second day of the jiu-jitsu competitions at Xiaoshan Linpu Gymnasium, the UAE's jiu-jitsu team secured three more medals, including one gold and two bronze, taking their overall tally in the sport to seven.

Al Hosani emerged as the standout Emirati athlete on Friday by clinching gold in the women’s 52 kg final. She won by points against China’s Jie Miao.

"I have been preparing for this moment for 4 years, and I was confident of achieving this milestone because when an Emirati girl receives the opportunity and support, she achieves her goals, no matter how challenging they may be. It was the proudest moment of my life when the UAE flag was raised today in China while the UAE national anthem played," said Al Hosani.

Meanwhile, Shamsa Al Ameri defeated Jordan's Yasmine Alami for the bronze medal in the women's 57 kg contest and Mahdi Al Awlaqi overcame his sibling in an all-UAE battle for the bronze in the men’s 77 kg division.

With one more day to go for the conclusion of the jiu-jitsu competitions, the Emirati team now has an impressive seven medals, including two gold, three silver, and two bronze.

Faisal Al-Ketbi, Saeed Al-Kubaisi, Shamma Al-Kalbani and Mahra Mahfouz, who are set to participate in Saturday's competitions, successfully completed the official weigh-in procedures today.