The qualifying rounds of Al Da‘wa competitions were held Wednesday in two categories of falcons, as part of the activities of the 17th edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026).
Al Da‘wa competitions took place in the morning with 10 falconers qualifying: Al Sheehaniya Team (two falcons), Hamad Abdullah al-Arjani (two falcons), Al Zam Team (three falcons), Abdullah Amer al-Kaabi, Mohammed Khabbab al-Nuaimi, and Lefan Team.
A falcon from Al Sheehaniya Team recorded the best time in the group at 15.752 seconds.
In the other category, the qualifiers were Sultan Hamad al-Humaidi (two falcons), Mihna Mohamed al-Dosari, Mohamed Khabbab al-Nuaimi, Lefan Team, Al Sheehaniya Team, Al Bairaq Team, Ahmed Abdullah al-Khater, Al Zam Team and Hamad Abdulhadi bin Naifa.
The falcon “Ghasham,” owned by Sultan Hamad al-Humaidi, achieved the best time in the group at 17.181 seconds.
Hamad Saleh al-Masoud, head of Al Da‘wa Championship at the Marmi Festival, said the competition was extremely intense in both categories, noting that rankings shifted with the completion of each falcon run, and that hundredths of a second were decisive in determining the qualifying positions.
He explained that such technical speed-based championships are governed by tiny details that make the difference, and related to the falcon’s launch, flight performance, handling at the finish line, or the caller’s guidance.
Accordingly, participating falconers lauded the competitive atmosphere provided by Marmi 2026, as well as the high level of organisation and co-ordination, which was positively reflected in the recorded results.
In the evening session, competitions for Group Thirteen of the Haddad Al Tahadi Championship were held, resulting in the victory and qualification of three falconers for the final, Al Majd Team, Mohamed Hamad al-Adhbi, and Al Gharbiya Team, which raised the total number of finalists to 22.
Muteb Mubarak al-Qahtani, president of the Marmi Festival, crowned the winners and qualifiers at the festival site. Each qualified winner receives a cash prize of QR100,000, in addition to competing for the grand prize in the final, a Lexus vehicle.
Shawi al-Kaabi, head of Haddad Al Tahadi Committee at the Marmi Festival, pointed out that the falcons demonstrated their readiness and strength in this round, raising the total number of qualified winners to 22. He explained that most of the falcons delivered heroic performances despite the strength of the racing pigeon used by Abdullah Fakhro, and reflecting the intense and rigorous training they underwent.
Participants in the Haddad Al Tahadi Championship highly appreciated the Marmi Festival, which has become an international platform for falconers, bringing them together from all regions to exchange expertise and renew connections.
Today morning, the local Al Da‘wa Championship continues, while the evening session will host competitions for Group Fourteen of the Haddad Al Tahadi Championship.
