Nine Years Old, Nine Golds
The Girl Who Turned Play Into Power
It all began at home, with playful grappling sessions with her mother.
At the time, Eleonore van den Hooven had not yet learned her first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technique, but even then, she was clearly a natural.
A couple of months later, she is standing on international podiums. Her latest achievement came at the AJP Tour Doha International Jiu-Jitsu Championship, where she won gold.
The nine-year-old trains at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Bahrain and with the Bahrain National Wrestling Team. In just 1.5 years of training and 10 months of competition, she has collected nine gold medals and two silver medals across Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling tournaments in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to The Daily Tribune (TDT), her mother, Sophie van den Hooven, herself an MMA and grappling competitor, said she noticed her daughter’s potential early on.
"From a young age, we used to grapple together for fun, and I could already see she had natural ability," she told TDT.
That talent became even more evident once formal training began, where she would often dominate the other children during practice.
After just eight months of training, Eleonore entered her first tournament in Abu Dhabi and won silver.
"From that moment, everything took off," her mother said.
Move to Bahrain
The family’s move to Bahrain proved to be a turning point.
"There were no Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or wrestling clubs in our city in the Netherlands. "After we moved to Bahrain, she finally had the opportunity to start training in January 2025," Mrs van den Hooven told TDT.
Despite her rapid rise, Eleonore is already focused on what comes next. Her next major target is the Abu Dhabi World Championship in November. Before that, she will attend a wrestling summer camp in Uzbekistan with the Bahrain National Wrestling Team.
Inspiration
She draws inspiration from Sarah Galvão, a world champion who earned her black belt at just 18. Beyond medals, the family hopes her journey will inspire more girls in Bahrain to take up the sport.
Eleonore hopes her success will encourage more girls to take up the sport as very few girls train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling in Bahrain.
“She would love to have more girls around in the gym," Mrs van den Hooven added.
For Eleonore, the journey is only just beginning, as is her dream of inspiring the next generation of girls to step onto the mat.
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