A group of winners of competitions at Marmi Festival 2026.
Doha: The Saluki Championships held within the 17th Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026) were capped off yesterday.
The festival is held under the patronage of H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, with support from the Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam), at Marmi Sabkha in Sealine, with finals conducted in the male and female categories amid an awe-inspiring and grand atmosphere filled with suspense.
The final of the mixed category (males) saw Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Sulaiti claiming first place with the Saluki “Al-Montahir”, Aman Majid Al Jassim taking second place with the Saluki “Hacker”, and Hassan Tariq Al Miftah with the Saluki “Al-Wa’i”.
In the mixed category (females), Abdulrahman Ahmed Al Sulaiti secured first and third places with the Salukis “Ghara” and “Lahza”, respectively, while Team Al Taqawi took second place with the Saluki “Artidad”.
The winners of the top positions in each category affirmed their gratification with this accolade, emphasizing that they were deeply grateful to the organising committee of the festival for its attention to Saluki breeders to preserve this time-honored hobby, spurring them to continue clinging to this timeless Arab heritage of traditional hunting.
Separately, the marksmanship championship at the range also commenced in the morning period, with participation from several falconers competing for the top three positions.
The professionals contended for the trophy platform, which resulted in Issa Rashid Al Sulaiti clinching first place, Muteb Ali Al Mari in second, and Mohammed Othman Al Shaibani in third.
Chairman of Marmi Festival, Muteb Mubarak Al Qahtani, accorded the winners of the shooting championship at the festival venue, presenting them with the championship shield during a jubilant ceremony managed by Head of the Events and Logistics Committee, Saeed Rashid Al Naeimi.
Chair of the Shooting Committee at Marmi Festival, Ahmed bin Mubarak Al Kuwari, noted that the shooting contest at the festival has developed a resurgence of interest among professional and amateur shooters alike.
Al Kuwari highlighted that the annual participation in the festival aims to foster shooting sports within the community, describing these events as an opportunity to discover talents in this sport.
He further emphasised that the championship is a fertile ground for uncovering talent, with the first-place winner representing the fruit of this discovery, now joining the Qatari national shooting team, while congratulating all winners of the festival.
To mark this occasion, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to the State of Qatar, H E Eugene Crijns, toured the festival venue and followed several contests, including the Saluki finals. The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to Qatar and those who administer this international festival for offering him the opportunity to familiarize himself with a portion of the Qatari time-honored heritage.
The Haddad Challenge contests are set to be held today across morning and evening periods, with the morning dedicated to the 14th group.
