Sharjah Women's Clubs Top Arab Judo Championship

The Arab Judo Championship 2026 has put Sharjah women judo firmly in the regional spotlight. According to Sharjah 24, Sharjah Women's Sports Clubs won nine medals and the overall first-place trophy in the junior girls' category at the Arab Open Judo Championship in Kuwait. For UAE gym-goers, the result is more than a medal table. It shows how strength, skill and steady training can build a real base for combat sport.

Al Khaleej reported the medal split as three gold, five silver and one bronze. The three gold medals came from Nada Rashed Al Ghafri in under 40kg, Aisha Ali Hassan in under 44kg, and Hoor Youssef Al Marashda in under 57kg. UrduPoint also reported the nine-medal total for Sharjah women's sports clubs, which helps keep the club result clear from the wider national-team tally. That distinction matters because several judo results came from the same Arab Championships in Kuwait, across different team and club events.

In this article

1. How the Sharjah result fits the wider UAE judo picture
2. Why judo strength training looks different
3. What beginners can take from the win
4. A positive moment for UAE women's sport

How the Sharjah result fits the wider UAE judo picture

Al Khaleej reported that six of the clubs' athletes also represented the UAE national team in the team event that came before the club competition. Those players contributed to 11 medals for the UAE junior side, with two gold, seven silver and two bronze, as the UAE finished first in the junior division. In a separate overall tally, the Emirates News Agency said the UAE judo team finished the Arab Championships in Kuwait with 29 medals across all age categories, with nine gold, ten silver and ten bronze. The agency also said the competition was held at the Kuwait Club Sports Hall from 5 to 9 October.

The championship was organised by the Arab Judo Union, according to Al Khaleej. The same report said Algerian Olympic champion Soria Hadad, the technical director, was honoured during the event. A team official linked the result to development across physical, technical, tactical and psychological levels. That is a useful way to read the result: judo is not built on one quality alone.

Why judo strength training looks different

StrengthLog says judo rewards grip strength, pulling strength, explosive power and a strong rotational core. JudoInfo also describes grip and pulling strength, explosive power and core stability as key physical foundations of the sport. That lines up with what spectators see on the mat: athletes must hold, turn, resist, drive through the legs and react quickly while staying balanced.

For a beginner, that does not mean copying an elite athlete's training load. It means building the right qualities patiently. Useful gym work for judo can include:

• Compound lifts: squats, deadlifts, rows, pull-ups and presses to build full-body strength.
• Explosive drills: box jumps, medicine-ball slams and power cleans, which StrengthLog links to the triple extension of ankles, knees and hips used in throwing actions.
• Grip work: farmer's walks and gi pull-ups to help with holding, pulling and controlling an opponent.
• Core training: planks, Russian twists and hanging leg raises to support rotation and balance.

What beginners can take from the win

The Sharjah result is a strong reminder that combat sports reward consistency. Judo training has a technical side that belongs on the mat, but the gym can support the physical base that makes those skills easier to repeat. StrengthLog says strength and conditioning 2-3 times a week alongside mat work can bring measurable improvement, while newcomers should start light and build gradually.

If you are curious about women's judo UAE training, a simple starting point is to focus on movement quality before load. Think of the gym as support work, not a replacement for coaching. Good first steps include:

• Learning basic squat, hinge, push and pull patterns with control.
• Adding short carries to build grip without rushing into complex exercises.
• Practising simple core positions that resist twisting before adding faster rotational work.
• Keeping explosive drills low-volume until landing and technique feel solid.

That approach keeps the training practical. It also respects the sport. Judo is fast and physical, but it depends on timing and technique as much as power. The best gym work helps an athlete move better on the mat, recover between efforts and repeat strong actions under pressure.

A positive moment for UAE women's sport

Sharjah Women's Sports Clubs topping the junior girls' category is a positive result for the UAE's combat-sport scene. It gives younger athletes visible role models in a sport that demands discipline and courage. It also gives everyday gym-goers a clear message: strength training can support performance goals that go far beyond lifting numbers.

If this result has inspired you to build strength for sport, start with the basics and keep it consistent. Fill in the enquiry form.

Sources:
sharjah24.ae
wam.ae
alkhaleej.ae
urdupoint.com
strengthlog.com
judoinfo.com

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.