emirates7 - UAE jiu-jitsu champion Obaid Al Ketbi clinched the gold medal in the 56kg category after defeating Kazakhstan’s Ulikhan Aldiyar at the 3rd Asian Youth Games hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Games, which conclude on Friday, feature over 5,000 athletes from 45 countries, with the UAE participating in 19 different sports.

Teammate Salem Al Qubaisi earned the silver medal in the 62kg division following a closely contested bout against Kazakhstan’s Batyrbek Abdulla.

These results raised the UAE’s total medal count to 21—comprising 9 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze—securing sixth place overall and maintaining the nation’s position as the leading Arab country with less than 48 hours remaining in the Games. China continues to top the overall standings with 105 medals, followed by Uzbekistan with 45 and Kazakhstan with 59. Saudi Arabia ranks 13th (second among Arab nations) with 18 medals (3 gold, 4 silver, and 11 bronze), while Iraq stands 14th (third Arab) with 11 medals (3 gold, 4 silver, and 4 bronze). Host nation Bahrain ranks 15th (fourth Arab) with 9 medals (3 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze).

In badminton, UAE’s Rayan Malhan continued his impressive form, advancing to the semi-finals after a straight-sets victory over Indonesia’s Jin Maharishil. He will face China’s Xu Ji Ning in the semi-finals on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, UAE cyclist Sultan Al Hammadi concluded his road race in eighth place with a time of 2:24:15, competing against 69 cyclists from across Asia.