For elite athletes, success often looks inevitable from the outside. Medals glint and flags rise, but the grind is invisible. For Shamma Al-Kalbani, the gold-medal-winning Emirati jiu-jitsu star, the rise to the top of the podium is one that began with curiosity and has included moments of heartbreak. 

Shamma’s success has stemmed from unshakeable self-belief. In recent months, she struck gold twice – at the World Championships in Bangkok and, most recently, at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, providing two defining moments of her burgeoning career.

“When I won the gold medal in Riyadh, I was so happy and proud to hear the national anthem for my country on the podium and to see the UAE flag in first place,” Shamma tells Villa 88. “It was a very emotional moment for me.”

Behind those champion moments lies a journey fuelled by sacrifice, hours of deliberate training, and a commitment to excellence. “I worked hard to reach a high level, compete with the national team, and represent the UAE,” she recounts. “My journey started in Grade 6. We had a jiu-jitsu programme and when I first saw it in my school, I was very curious. I wanted to learn self-defence at first, but I fell in love with the sport when I saw the female athletes competing at a high level. I dreamed of being able to do the same as them – I’m so proud to now be in the national team.”

For many athletes, nerves are a burden, but the feeling is natural, and may play a crucial role in inspiring peak performance. For Shamma, though, they are an old acquaintance – even a badge of belonging. “When I compete, I feel nervous. I always want to perform at a high level and do my best,” she says. “I train a lot for the competitions, and every time I compete, I get these nerves, but I’m also happy because I’m doing what I love.” 

Representing the UAE carries its own potency, but Shamma describes the duality of competition with disarming clarity. “When I compete, I know I have trained intensely. I love that people will come and watch me fight and see what I’ve been working towards,” she says. “I always train a lot before every competition and say to myself that I will go there and give my 100 per cent and do my best – it doesn’t matter what the outcome is. I just want to do everything I can.” 

A resilient fighter, Shamma takes defeats in her stride – though they’re becoming increasingly rare. 

“If I lose in a competition, I have to learn from it and watch my fight again and see everything I can fix,” she explains. “I always promise myself that I will improve, and this makes me work harder.”

That mindset faced its toughest test earlier this year, when injury struck two weeks before the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China. Struggling even to walk, she bravely chose to take to the mat anyway – but it resulted in an extended period out of competition. “I was at a very low place after I lost at the World Games. It made me think about everything,” she shares. “But I picked myself up again and prioritised my health and my physiotherapy more than my training.” 

In fact, the absence gave Shamma a renewed sense of purpose – she returned in November to claim gold at the 2025 Adults Ju-Jitsu World Championships in Bangkok, going on to add a second at the Islamic Solidarity Games in November. 

“I used to always train and didn’t care as much about recovery,” she shares. “But the injury made me realise how important my physical and mental health were. I had to build everything back up again and, two months after getting injured, I came back and won gold at the World Championships and the Islamic Games. It was something very big for me,” she concludes.

Shamma was also recently honoured as the Best Emirati Female Athlete (Adults) at the Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Awards 2025 – a nod to her rapid rise and her impact on the sport. 

Jiu-jitsu has never graced the Olympics, but as one of the fastest-growing combat sports in the world – and one with a fiercely loyal global community – the clamour is growing for its inclusion. 

For athletes chasing a flag-bearing moment under five rings, the dream is alive, but the stage – for now – is elsewhere – namely, the World Games and the World Championships. 

“I believe jiu-jitsu should be an Olympic sport, because now it is getting so famous – the world knows about it and almost all countries practice it,” the Emirati champion asserts. “The athletes are at a very high level and deserve to be Olympians. I really hope I can do this one day – compete for the UAE. It would mean a lot to me.”

Shamma has forged a successful path in jiu-jitsu and hopes that her experience can inspire young girls watching from across the UAE. 

“If you believe in yourself and you are doing what you love, you can be successful,” she says. “I hope all the talented girls follow their hearts and work hard. You can do it too.”

Follow @ssy.0 on Instagram