Kalba Tops U15 Category and Finishes Runner-Up in U18 Girls, While Sharjah Maintains Its Competitive Presence
Sharjah Women’s Sports Clubs delivered a strong showing at the UAE Open Judo Championship, held on 16 and 17 May 2026 at the UAE Judo Federation headquarters in Bani Yas under the slogan “Hassantak Ya Watan.” The championship brought together 310 male and female athletes representing 12 clubs, with competitions held in the U15 and U18 boys’ and girls’ categories.
Kalba Women’s Sports Club topped the overall standings in the U15 category after securing 11 medals — six gold, two silver and three bronze.
Gold medals were won by Noura Sultan (-36kg), Hafsa Issa (-40kg), Sumaya Ahmed (-48kg), Dana Ali (-52kg), Al Reem Abdullah (-57kg) and Rodina Mohammed (-63kg). Fatima Mohammed claimed silver in the -48kg category, while Khawla Al Ansari took silver at -52kg. Bronze medals went to Reem Yousuf (-44kg), Hind Saif (-48kg) and Wadima Obaid (-70kg).
In the same category, Sharjah Women’s Sports Club secured six medals, including three silver and three bronze. Mahra Mohammed Rashid won silver at -57kg, while Salma Ahmed Mahmoud and Hoor Waleed Ali both claimed silver in the +70kg category. Maram Amir took bronze at -40kg, Al Reem Ismail at -44kg, and Shahad Hisham Mohammed at -70kg.
Kalba Women’s Sports Club continued its strong results in the U18 Girls category, finishing second overall with seven medals. Nada Rashid (-40kg), Aisha Hassan (-52kg), Salma Al Ansari (-63kg) and Hessa Abdullah (-70kg) each won gold, while Sumaya Ahmed (-48kg), Hoor Al Marashda (-57kg) and Sara Jawhar (-63kg) secured silver.
Sharjah Women’s Sports Club added two silver medals in the U18 Girls category through Amena Yousuf at -40kg and Aisha Ali Hassan at -44kg, in a competition that also featured a number of the club’s promising young athletes.
Ghania Al Siyasi, Judo Coach at Kalba Women’s Sports Club, said topping the U15 category and finishing runner-up in the U18 Girls category reflected both the depth of the club’s athlete base and its ability to compete effectively across different age groups. She added that consistently achieving strong results provides the technical team with clear indicators of the athletes’ continued development.
“At this stage, what matters to us is not only the number of medals, but the athletes’ ability to maintain their competitive presence from one championship to the next,” she said. “The UAE Open showed that we have a group capable of adapting to different levels of competition, giving us a stronger foundation for the next phase of technical development.”
Lucy Jaddan, Judo Coach at Sharjah Women’s Sports Club, said the UAE Open gave the technical team an opportunity to assess the athletes’ performances in greater detail following a series of competitions and to identify both the progress made and the areas requiring further development.
“We came away from the championship with clear indicators for each athlete, whether in terms of managing the bout or dealing with decisive moments,” she said. “This allows us to direct the technical work in the next phase with greater precision.”
She added: “At this stage, our focus is on the quality of performance and developing greater maturity in competition, so that each athlete becomes more aware and confident on the mat.”
The results further underline the rapid growth of judo across Sharjah Women’s Sports Clubs since the discipline was introduced to their programmes. The clubs now have nearly 100 athletes across different age groups, reflecting the progress of the technical development pathway and the expanding base of athletes capable of competing consistently across a range of championships.
