Balqees Al Hashmi is an Emirati girl based in Abu Dhabi who is preparing for her first Jiu-Jitsu bout inside a steel cage against her Russian opponent Maria Odintsova at the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC5). The 20-year-old has been training three times a day at a camp for the past four weeks, combining Jiu-Jitsu and gym workouts. This will be a new experience for Balqees as she has never competed inside a cage before and she is adapting to the rules of the championship.
The rules of ADXC are different from other Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts competitions, with fighters engaging in wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu techniques without punches or kicks. Balqees has been practicing and improving her game alongside teammate Mariam Al Ali at the UAEJJ Fitness and Mubadala Arena. She has focused on improving herself, correcting past mistakes, and maintaining a positive mindset for her upcoming bout.
Balqees feels proud to represent the UAE at the championship, where she will compete in the three-round Jiu-Jitsu atomweight prelims bout. Despite feeling some pressure, she is more excited and determined to showcase her skills in front of her home crowd and family. Balqees aims to win and make her country proud, with the support of her family and teammates behind her.
Balqees participates in multiple tournaments throughout the year and dreams of winning a gold medal at the Asian Games after securing a silver medal in the previous year. She is focused on achieving this goal and fulfilling her promise to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. Alongside Balqees, another Emirati fighter, Omar Al Suwaidi, will also be competing in a flyweight category match at the championship.
The event’s organizer, Tariq Al-Bahri, is confident in the performance of the Emirati fighters, including Balqees, who will be entering a cage for the first time. The championship will feature former UFC fighters Chad Mendes and Kevin Lee in the co-main event, with a total of 28 fighters from 15 nationalities competing in 14 grappling and Jiu-Jitsu matches at the Mubadala Arena. Balqees is eager to make her mark in the competition and showcase her skills on a larger platform.
