Tribune News Network
Doha
Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the activities of the Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2025) will start its 16th edition on Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
The festival, organised by the Qatari Al-Qannas Association, will continue until February 1, 2025 at Sabkhat Marmi in Sealine. It is supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund (Daam).
Mutab Al Qahtani, chairman of the Marmi Festival, explained that the festival will start this year with the ‘Haddad Al-Tahadi’ championship, noting that the championship is dedicated to falcon chicks, which is the release of a carrier pigeon and the release of a falcon towards it. If the falcon is able to catch or trap the pigeon in a certain location, it is considered the winner deserving a prize of QR100,000 in addition to qualifying for the final and competing for a Lexus car.
He said that the Hoopoe Championship will continue for three days from Wednesday to Friday for the first, second and third groups, with one group per day, while the Saluki Racing Championship qualifiers will be held the following day, Saturday, January 4. The head of the Marmi Festival added that the Tal’a Championship will begin on Sunday, January 5 for group 1 to 5, explaining that the championship depends on the falcon’s strong eyesight in seeing the prey, as a Houbara bustard is placed two kilometres away from the falcon’s location, and the falcon that takes off first, lands and hunts it qualifies.
Qahtani noted that the Tal’a Championship will be held from January 5 to 10 with five groups each day during the morning period, while the Hadad Al-Tahadi Championship will resume during the same period in the evening period, where the Hadad Al-Tahadi qualifiers will be held for each of the groups from the fourth to the ninth with one group per day, while the Hadad Al-Tahadi Championship will continue in the evening period from January 11 to 14 for the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th groups with one group per day.
He added that the start of the local Da’wa Championship will commence on Wednesday, January 15, explaining that this championship measures the speed of falcons, which start from the starting point to the end for a distance of 400 metres, which is a local and international distance for the free and the Shaheen in the Farkh and Qirnas categories.
He said that the Marmi International Hunting and Falconry Festival has become a landmark in the efforts of the Al-Gannas Association to preserve the Qatari and Gulf heritage as the festival aims to preserve the heritage and emotional values of this sport inherited from fathers and grandfathers, in addition to its importance in the literature of Arab folklore, especially the Gulf and Qatar.
