DOHA: Most of the competitions at the Sixth Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival yesterday were postponed due to the dust storm that lasted throughout the day.
The festival venue in Sabkhet Marmi, Sealine, was engulfed by heavy dust and having determined that the dust storm would continue during the day, the organising committee decided to cancel the day’s events.
Ali bin Khatim Al Mahshadi, Chairman, the Organising Committee, said the events for the day, which featured a few participants in the fourth round of Hudud Al Tahaddi Challenge were postponed, keeping in mind spectators and contestants.
The most popular and with the most number of participants at this year’s festival, Hudud Al Tahaddi Challenge is a competition in which falcons seek to obstruct the flight of homing pigeons especially trained to fly away. Al Mahshadi said the inclement weather which included strong winds, would prevent people from watching the competitions and obstruct the flight of falcons and pigeons.
This would be unfair to competitors, especially that the weather on the first three days of the challenge rounds was fair, he added. Despite dust storm, several foreign visitors were present at the venue.
The medical aid team from Hamad Medical Corporation stationed at the venue for the month-long festival distributed free masks. The Huhud Al Saluki competition, in which salukis or Arabian greyhounds race at dazzling speeds for 2km, will start today, according to officials. A total of 100 participants in six groups will compete.
The Peninsula
