Seven golds lift the Emirates past its previous benchmark in Hangzhou, with combat sports and track leading a historic 12-medal haul.
NAGOYA, Japan : The United Arab Emirates secured its most successful Asian Games campaign on Friday, collecting a record seventh gold medal at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 after another dominant display by its jiu-jitsu contingent.
NAGOYA, Japan — The United Arab Emirates has eclipsed its historic high-water mark at the Asian Games, securing a seventh gold medal at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Friday behind an emphatic afternoon on the jiu-jitsu mats.
The breakthrough pushed the country’s running total to 12 medals—seven gold, four silver, and one bronze—surpassing the five golds earned three years ago at Hangzhou.
Mahdi Al Awlaqi sealed the record-breaking haul in the men’s under-77kg final, outmaneuvering his opponent to claim gold, minutes after Asma Al Hosani struck top honors in the women’s under-52kg division. Ammar Al Hosani added bronze in the men’s under-94kg bracket to cap a three-medal surge in a single session.
Combat sports have underpinned the Emirates’ charge in central Japan. Jiu-jitsu competitors have accounted for eight of the nation’s 12 medals, including five golds. Alongside Al Awlaqi and Asma Al Hosani, titles were earlier secured by Balqees Abdulla (women’s under-48kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (men’s under-62kg), and Ahmed Andeez (men’s under-69kg). Al Anoud Al Harbi and Omar Al Suwaidi each took silver in their respective weight classes.
The country’s reach extended well beyond the tatami. On the track, Mariam Kareem delivered a standout triumph in the women’s 400m hurdles, while Suleiman Abdulrahman captured silver in the men’s flat 400m. On the judo mats, Kazbek Naguchev claimed gold in the men’s under-73kg competition, balance bolstered by a team silver in show jumping.
Faris Mohammed Al Mutawa, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee, described the performance as a turning point that validates years of structural investment in elite athletic programs. Al Mutawa praised the athletes, coaches, and sports federations, while acknowledging the guidance of Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee.
The UAE sent a 165-athlete delegation to Nagoya, viewing the Games both as a regional test and as a launchpad toward the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games and the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games.
Not every contest broke in favor of the Emirates on Friday. Heavyweight judoka Mohammed Omar Marouf fell agonisingly short of a podium finish in the over-100kg bronze decider, losing by ippon in golden score to South Korea’s Kim Min-jong. Marouf had earlier beaten the Philippines’ Kedo Isliken and China’s Li Haiyang to reach the latter stages.
In the under-90kg division, Gadzhimurad Omarov beat Kazakhstan’s Aidar Arabov before falling to Kyrgyzstan’s Erlan Sherov in the quarter-finals, later dropping out via the repechage against Iran’s Amir Abbas Choopan.
The national rugby sevens squad dropped a 29-12 quarter-final to South Korea, dropping into the fifth-to-eighth place bracket against Malaysia. Taekwondo competitor Amna Al Loghani exited in the women’s under-67kg round of 16 following a straight-rounds defeat to Jordan’s Razan Al Rawashdeh.
The UAE squad returns to action on Saturday with realistic chances of expanding its ledger. Show jumpers Abdullah Humaid Al Muhairi, Humaid Abdullah Al Muhairi, Sheikha Latifa bint Ahmed Al Maktoum, and Omar Abdulaziz Al Marzooqi contest the individual equestrian medals. Jiu-jitsu fighters Faraj Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Kubaisi (men’s under-85kg), and Shamma Al Kalbani (women’s under-63kg) open their brackets, while the men’s golf contingent takes to the course for the final stroke play round.
