The competitions for the young falconer and the aspiring falconers took place Friday at the ongoing 14th edition of Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2023). Ali bin Khatim al-Mehshadi, head of the Supreme Committee of Marmi 2023 and chairman of Al Qannas Qatari Society, announced that some scheduled competitions were postponed due to the rains.
"Due to the weather conditions and the rains that fell on the country since Thursday night, we had to postpone some of the competitions including Al Tala'a championship during the morning period and some of Hadad Al Tahadi, which was scheduled for Saturday in addition to the finals of the Saluki dogs race, which was scheduled for Friday afternoon."
He stressed that the organising committee takes the safety and well-being of all the participants very seriously and want to guarantee that all the competitions are done in suitable conditions and circumstances. "Meanwhile, we were able to go ahead with the young falconer and aspiring falconer competitions in good conditions, as it would have been difficult to postpone them because the youngsters are set to have examinations at their schools over the coming weeks."
The competitions of the young falconer for the 6-10 age category took place in the afternoon. As it was raining, the young competitors were tested on their knowledge of falconry and falcons, besides testing their ability to carry the falcon on their hand in the proper way and efficiently remove the hood that cover the bird's eyes, and other relevant skills.
In spite of the heavy rains, a large number of spectators enjoyed the festival including visitors from various countries, including Germany, the UK, and Indonesia, who expressed their admiration for the activities of the Marmi festival and stressed it has been a highly rewarding experience that introduced them to the heritage and culture of Qatar and the region.
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.
The contest also sees active collaboration between team members
A young falconer and his bird appears before the jury
Falconry is a heritage passed down from generation to generation
A young falconer interacting with jury
A contestant in the aspiring falconer category releases his bird
A falcon during the race
Young and aspiring falconers with officials
Ali bin Khatim al-Mehshadi
