(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The sixth Qatar Falcons and Hunting Festival yesterday saw the final rounds of the Local Dau, Hudud Al Saluki and Hudud Al Tahaddi competitions.
The winners in Hudud Al Tahaddi, the most popular contest, were Mohammed Saleh Al Qamra Al Marri and Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi who took home Lexus cars. In Hudud Al Tahaddi, falcons seek to obstruct the flight of homing pigeons trained to fly to a point many kilometres away, and cause them to land.
The competition was stiff with the highest number of participants in the festival's history.
"This edition was tough because it witnessed 534 competitors, 24 of whom reached the finals. Last year saw 16 competitors in the final round," said Saif Saeed Al Nuaimi, Head, Hudud Al Thadddi Committee.
In the Local Dau Qarnas event, Mohammed Saleh Al Qamra Al Nabet Al Marri came first and took home a Land Cruiser, followed by Ahmed Misnad Al Misnad who won QR50,000 and Khaled Rashid Saleh Aba Al Zamat Al Marri (QR40,000).
The challenge showcases a falconer's skills in training his bird. In Local Dau, a falcon is required to cross about 400 metres to reach the finish line in the shortest possible time, with the help of a signal from its owner.
Leading the Local Dau Al Farkh event was Misnad Ahmed Al Misnad who won a Land Cruiser, followed by Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Jabor Al Thani (QR50,000) and Team Ilzam (QR40,000).
Team Marmi won the Shaheen Qarnas event, winning a Land Cruiser, followed by Mana Abdulhadi Al Shahwani Al Hajri (QR50,000) and Team Ilzam (QR40,000).
Sheikh Ali Abdullah Khaled Hamad Al Thani won the top two slots in Hudud Al Saluki while Saud Ahmed Mubarak Abu Ghanem Al Sulaiti came third.
Hudud Al Saluki is a race in which salukis, or Arabian greyhounds, try to cover 2km in the shortest possible time.
The Minister of Environment H E Ahmed Amer Mohamed Al Humaidi said, "I am supporting the festival because it preserves this important aspect of our heritage and culture. This year witnessed an increase in the number of falconers which is evident that Qataris are keeping alive the heritage of their forefathers alive."
He said the ministry has launched a project to protect Qatar's natural resources and in support of CITES, an international agreement between governments to protect endangered plants and animals. "One of the initiatives is to increase the number of Al Habari bird because the species is particularly important for falconers," he said.
The Mazayen contest to select the most beautiful falcon and the awards ceremony will be held today at 5.30pm at Katara Building 12.
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