BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
Amid the progress the country enjoys, it is equally essential to continue to maintain and enrich its cultural heritage. “Even if you become prosperous, you should not forget how your ancestors lived long ago and children should be educated how their forefathers survived before. It is for this reason that I think Senyar is very important; for the youth to understand and continue their ancestors’ legacy,” Ali Mohammed Al Naimi (pictured), captain of team Lesha, told Doha Today on the eve of the fourth Senyar traditional fishing and diving competition.
Lesha is one of the 73 teams setting sail from the Katara Beach early this morning for the annual Senyar which lasts for three days. The team with 11 members derived its name from a place located up north of Qatar.
This is the first time Al Naimi has joined Senyar though he has considerable experience in fishing he acquired from a very young age.
“I started very young. I began to go fishing with my father when I was about ten years old. I had a feeling then that one day I would own a boat and take my children as my father used to do for me,” he recalls.
Three of his sons, including his ten-year-old son, are members of the team because “having my children are important just for them to see how my father and grandfather used to live.”
Team Lesha is composed members who are skilled in fishing that’s why Al Naimi is upbeat they can win the competition. The team is competing in two categories of the competition namely heaviest catch and biggest fish.
“We live in a peninsula. We are surrounded by water and most of our trips are on the sea so there wasn’t any problem getting team members who can fish.”
As part of the preparations for the competition, the team sought advice from those who have joined before. Ensuring safety in the dhow, checking the health condition of the crew and having enough supply and equipment were also essential aspects of the team’s preparation and the rules of the organisers.
“Katara’s rules especially on safety are paramount. It’s good to have strict rules on safety. You cannot let people venture into the sea for three days without safety. This also reflects a good image on the reputation of the competition.”
Staying on the sea for three days for the 730 participants is no easy task and comes with many challenges
“The main challenge is for everybody not to get bored for three days on the sea. The team must be an enthusiastic lot — people who have the spirit of competing and winning, and as a captain it is my job to encourage my team to be the best they can.”
With hundreds of competitors, most of whom have gained experience in the past three editions of the contest, it would take a lot of hardwork for the team to win the prize.
“We saw some participants are several years ahead of us. Each one has a strategy to win; some put more fishing lines when trolling while others use different baits. Hopefully we can win some of the prizes with more prayers.”
Although their aim is to win, Al Naimi said, more important than the prize is the spirit of the competition and maintaining Qatar’s maritime heritage.
“The prize is not important. We may win or lose but what is more significant is the spirit of competition. I’m sure we will have some faults but we will use them to be better next year. What is important is to give our best, show that we are up to the challenge and gain experience from the competition.”
Senyar is getting bigger and bigger each year in terms of participation. From around 150 competitors in the inaugural edition, the number of participants increased to 350 in the second year while last year saw about 600 participants. This edition is the biggest yet with 730 competitors.
“More participants are joining because they see the competition as a very good opportunity to relive the old life of our ancestors and I think Qataris still have the desire to maintain their heritage so they do not forget how people who came before them used to live.”
“Senyar is very good initiative for the country and Katara itself because this is recognized in other Gulf states and this is a good publicity for Katara that it can hold such cultural event that can be traced back long time in the past.”The Peninsula
