Doha – Marmi Festival
On Monday, January 5, the fourth group competitions were held in the Haddad Challenge Championship as part of the activities of the seventeenth edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026).
The festival is held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, and is supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund “Daam”, in the Marmi Sabkha in Sealine, and will continue until the twenty-fourth of this month.
The competition between the falcons and the homing pigeons resulted in the homing pigeons prevailing in this group, as none of the falcons were able to catch the homing pigeons, which returned safely to their nests in Umm Abeiriyah.
In this context, Mr. Shawi Al Kaabi, head of the Hadd Al Tahadi Committee, said that the fourth group’s falconers were not able to hunt, and Abdullah Fakhro’s pigeons had the upper hand after two previous rounds in which the falcons were able to take down the pigeons, and the number of winners in the championship and those who qualified for the final stopped at 8 falconers.
The head of the Haddad Al Tahaddi Committee explained that the falcons performed well and presented suitable competitions and maneuvers, but they were not successful in this round. He pointed out that the falconers showed their readiness and the falcons’ fitness was evident, and that this is the nature of the sport, with winners and losers, while awaiting the results of the fifth group’s competitions in Haddad Al Tahaddi, which will be held on Tuesday evening (January 6).
A number of falconers confirmed their readiness for the competition and challenge, but of course there are still challenges, stressing that the owners of the falcons exert their energy in training, just as the pigeon fancier exerts his energy to escape the clutches of the falcons.
Falconer Talib Muhammad Afifa said: “I participated in the festival before, and there is readiness, training, and preparation. Not hunting does not mean not being ready, as hunting is a blessing from God Almighty. However, we enjoy the competitive atmosphere and we have presented good performances.”
Emirati falconer Salem Al Ameri said that the Shaheen chick has been fully prepared and trained to compete this year, noting that it has qualified more than once in previous editions of the Marmi International Falconry and Hunting Festival.
Al-Amri stressed that the experience reflects the high level of challenge presented by the festival, and that he is always keen to give his best performance in front of participants from different countries, praising the organization of the events and the great interest in falcons and Qatari heritage.
For his part, Kuwaiti falconer Mohammed Faisal Al-Azmi said that he is participating for the first time in the Marmi International Falconry Festival, and that a number of Kuwaiti falconers have been crowned in previous editions of the festival. Therefore, we are trying to present a distinguished participation, especially through a young Shaheen falcon from Kuwait, praising the organizing committee of the Marmi Festival and its role in preserving this Gulf heritage.
In a related context, the Al-Talaa Championship competitions for groups 16-20 were held yesterday (Monday, January 5) in the morning. The committee completed the competitions for three groups (16, 17, 18), resulting in the qualification of two falconers from the Barzan team from groups 16 and 18, while no one qualified from group 17.
The Al-Talaa Championship Committee decided to postpone the competitions of groups 19 and 20, due to increased wind speed.
Mr. Ali bin Ayash Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Al Talaa Committee at the Marmi Festival, said that the decision to postpone the two groups came after careful monitoring of the weather conditions in the competition area, as a result of the increased wind speed after the end of the competitions of the first three groups, which competed in ideal conditions and clear visibility.
Al Mansouri said that the committee is keen on the safety of the participants, in addition to providing a full and equal opportunity for everyone, in order to ensure that the competitions are held in fair and favorable conditions for everyone, whether in the Al Talaa Championship or in the Haddad Al Tahaddi Championship.
Al-Mansouri pointed out that Tuesday morning will witness the qualifying rounds for five groups in the Al-Talaa Championship (21-25), with continuous monitoring of weather conditions to ensure the safety of all participants.
The falconers participating in the Al-Tala’a Championship praised the championship’s role in preserving the falconry heritage, stressing that the festival transports them to the life of hunting.
Abdulaziz bin Ali Al-Marri said: “I have participated in the festival for 14 years, and although I have not been lucky enough to win, this does not concern me much, as the festival is bigger than being about championships and prizes; it goes far beyond this to an important role in preserving our heritage.”
Jassim Al-Saai said he is happy to participate in the Al-Tala’a Championship and is participating in the championship with six falcons this year. He is keen year after year to strengthen his collection with new falcons that are distinguished, especially the large eye opening and large nostrils that distinguish the Al-Tala’a falcon in particular.
Al-Sa’i said that he had qualified on Sunday from Group 16, but if he was not successful on Monday, this does not mean retreat, but there are upcoming rounds and continuous preparation.
The festival witnessed a remarkable public turnout, especially from foreign visitors interested in falconry heritage, as a group from South Africa visited the festival yesterday.
South African falconer Dayton de Jong, who is currently visiting Qatar and has been practicing falconry since he was about five years old, said: “My grandfather introduced me to the world of falconry at an early age, and since then I have been flying falcons with him,” explaining that falconry represents for him a deeply rooted family and cultural heritage.
He pointed out that falconry in South Africa relies mainly on short-winged “crosshawk” falcons, in addition to the sparrowhawk. He noted that the natural environment there imposes a completely different style of hunting, as the practice takes place in the jungles and mountainous areas where trees and tall grasses that can reach a height of two meters are widespread.
De Jong explained that his experience in Qatar allowed him to learn about a different school of falconry, noting the great passion he witnessed among the falconers and organizers.
He said: “It is wonderful to see here a completely different style of falconry practice. This passion is not often found in our country, and I am honored to be in the place that is the cradle and origin of falconry, as the roots here are very deep.”
He addressed the key differences between falconry traditions in Qatar and South Africa, explaining that hunting in the open desert environment allows for clear visibility of the falcon, unlike hunting in the bush. He added, “I was looking for falconry harnesses in the market, and I was told they are not used here because falcons are easily seen in the desert, whereas we need them in South Africa due to the dense vegetation.”
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