Intense action at Marmi festival

A total of 10 participants have qualified so far in Al Tala'a (release of the falcons to hunt) category at the ongoing 14th edition of Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2023) at Sabkhat Marmi at the Sealine Area.Only two falconers were able to qualify Wednesday due to the very strong competition, a statement said. Mohamed bin Mubarak al-Ali, head of Al Tala'a Committee, said that the competitions on the fourth day of the festival were amazing and started late in the morning to ensure better horizontal visibility for a fair and safe contest.Khalid Mohamed al-Shemari, a referee for Al Tala'a category, said his job is to protect the interests of all participants equally, besides helping in maintaining the necessary order and timing of the release of falcons to maintain the safety of both the falcons and falconers.The Haddad Al Tahadi (where the falcon has to hunt a homing pigeon within certain standards) category contest continued in the afternoon with a large gathering of Qataris, expatriates and tourists who enthusiastically followed the proceedings.Out of a total of 40 competitors, only six were able to qualify for the higher round, in what is described as the lowest number of qualifiers since the festival started. This was due to the powerful performance of the homing pigeons which surpassed the expectations of the falcon owners, thereby elevating the challenge and excitement that kept the spectators captivated.Ali Sultan Nasser al-Humaidi, head of Haddad Al Tahadi Committee, said that the weather Wednesday was great for hunting and both the pigeons and the falcons gave exceptional performances adding more excitement. While the hunting outcome Wednesday was less than the previous days, the overall hunting process was excellent and full of surprises.Marmi 2023, organised by Al Qannas Qatari Society under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani, will continue until January 28, drawing more local, regional and international attention as one of the major festivals in its category, pioneered by Qatar to maintain and develop such heritage traditional sport.A number of participants from the other GCC countries expressed their happiness in being a part of Marmi this year, stressing that Al Qannas Qatari Society has exerted great efforts to host the major festival.