Category: Press Release

Dubai, February 12, 2022: The time has come and the cast is complete for the final round of the 22nd Fazza Championship for Youlah and 17th edition of Al Meydan Program, organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) in Dubai.

Fayyad Al Ameri was the last to qualify for the final round, after dominating Mansour Al Falasi during the last semi-final segment of the competition held on Friday night at Dubai Camel Racing Club’s Al Marmoom Race Track.

Al Ameri has set up a date with Awad Al-Amiri in the final, while Al-Falasi will meet Rashid Al-Rakkad to determine third place. 

Nathalie Awadissian, chairman of the Organising Committee of the Fazza Championship for Youlah and HHC Director of Radio Stations Department, Media and Corporate Communication, said: “As expected the final round will be very exciting, with both finalists giving their best to win the crown and lift the Fazza Golden Cup. Their skills in various Emirati heritage and traditional sports have been tested and honed during the competitions and they both rightfully have a big claim to win the championship.  

“This season, all contestants who have qualified have also been empowered in various heritage competitions and have shown great merit and enthusiasm. The high level of competition among Emiratis has a strong appeal and following from the public who watch the weekly competitions,” she added.

Semi-final result

Al Ameri started strong during the semi-final round as he dominated the swimming competition, held early in the week at Hamdan Sports Complex. He won the 75-metre race and got 10 points. 

Al Ameri also showed his mastery in Arabic poetry recitation supervised by poet Muhammad Al-Murr AlAbd, and scored 10 more markers. He likewise excelled in Saktoun shooting and added 15 more points.

Al Ameri also won the 1,200-meter camel race to get another 20 points. The main Youlah competition also went to Al Ameri, and he ended up with a total of 70 points.

Tough competitions

Rashid Al Khasouni, HHC Director of Championships, noted winning the Gold Cup requires diligence and keeping pace with the high level of competitions. He noted: “This season will not be easy, given the high level of competitions and challenges involved in the event, especially as we draw one step away from the final round,” he added.

Dubai, 11 February 2022:  The Sheikhs Category in the 10th edition of Fakhr Al Ajyal (Pride of Generations) Falconry Championship drew its conclusion on Friday, with Team F3, Al Dhafra and M7 coming out strong in the elite race. 

Organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) at Dubai’s Al Ruwayyah desert area, Fakhr Al Ajyal is an elite event for falconers from inside and outside the country who looking for excellence through the competitions. Sheikhs Category is always the centrepiece of the competition, given the strong participation and tough competition among the falconers. 

HHC CEO Abdullah Hamdan Bin Dalmook crowned by the winners and thanked all falconers for their participation in and commitment to the falconry championship.

“Falconry is one of the UAE’s intangible cultural heritage that is passed on from generations. Thanks to these falconry championships and the wise leadership of the UAE that pay special attention to our heritage, we see everyone motivated to continue flourish this heritage sport. Falconry also provides participants of all ages an opportunity to showcase their abilities and compete in an atmosphere of brotherhood and love.

Results

Garmousha category: Al Dhafra fnished in first place after covering the 400-metre distane in 18.578 seconds, followed by Team F3’s bird “90” in second place (18.794 seconds) and M7 falcon “A1” (18.993 seconds).

Team M7 achieved first place in the Jirnas run with “Sa’ib” finishing with a time of 18.382 seconds, followed by Al Dhafra’s “G110” (18.794 seconds) and Al-Nif’s bird “M80” (18.887 seconds).

Team F3 made a one-two finish in the following race with “G77” finishing first in 19.007 seconds, followed by “55” (19.142 seconds), then Al Dhafra’s “G411” (19.218 seconds).

Team F3 also won main Jirnas race with the bird Dou finishing in first place (18.712 seconds0, followed by Al Dhafra’s bird “G83” (18.727 seconds), and another F3 came in third spot.

Team F3 completed the triple win by dominating the final race with falcon “G29” finishing in first place with a time of 19.269 seconds, followed by Al-Nif’s “G5” (19.310 seconds) and Al-Wasl’s bird “G1” (19.431 seconds).

Dubai, 7 February 2022:  Over 3,000 elite falcons from the UAE and GCC have seen action in the first week of the 10th edition of Fakhr Al Ajyal (Pride of Generations) Falconry Championship organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) at Dubai’s Al Ruwayyah desert area

Fakhr Al Ajyal, which will run until February 14, is an elite event for falconers from inside and outside the country looking for excellence through the competitions. 

Rashid Al Khasouni, HHC Director of Championships, said falconry racing is also a great gathering of fraternal meeting honouring traditional Arabian values of courage, honour and nobility as well as nature conservation, respect for animals and fostering camaraderie among falconers.

Here’s the list of winners in the General Public category (400-metre distance):

Pure Jeer run:  Abdullah Khalfan Al Qubaisi’s falcon named “Yasi” finished strong in first place with a time of 18.984 seconds, followed in closely in second place by Knights team’s “B1” (18.987 seconds), and Dubai team’s “Julmoud” in third spot (19.157 seconds).

Jirnas race: Dubai team topped with “Nakhli” finishing the race in 19.529 seconds, followed by Ahmed Hamdan Al Mazrouei’s “A1” (19.624 seconds), and Abdullah Khalfan Al Qubaisi’s “KB25” (19.649 seconds).

Jirnas main run: Ghanem Khalfan Al Mazrouei’s falcon named “Al-Bateen” came on top with a time of 19.385 seconds; followed by SS Falcon’s  “Samh” with 19.507 seconds, and Knights team’s bird “F16” (20.047 seconds).

Sultan Ahmed Al Falasi excelled in fourth race, with his bird named “R2” finishing in first place in 19.762 seconds; followed by Knights team’s “B8” (20.023 seconds), and Mai Khalfan Al Mansouri’s “Balaq” 20.499 seconds.

The Jeer Tihba run witnessed the Nad Al Sheba team winning in first place with “T43” finishing in 19.596 seconds, followed by Dubai team’s “Tuff” bird (19.837 seconds, then Qatari elite’s “T5” (19.851 seconds).

In another Jirnas race, Muhammad Ali Al-Asiri’s bird “T26” finished first (19.007 seconds), followed closely in second spot by Hamid Rashid Al-Mansoori’s falcon “Harb” (19.049 seconds) and third place was Khaled Nasser Al-Hajri’s bird “T100” (19.168 seconds).

Saif Jamal Al-Huraiz also grabbed first place his falcon “35” finishing in 18.745 seconds, followed by Khaled Nather Al-Hajri’s “T1288” (18.843 seconds), then Bahrain team’s bird “T14” (18.915 seconds) in third spot.

In the Jeer Shaheen run, the Qatari Elite team won first place with the bird named “Nightmare” finishing 17.274 seconds, followed by Dubai team’s bird “43”, then Khaled Nasser Al-Hajri’s falcon “Expo 2020” (17.406 seconds).

Muhammad Khalifa Al Jafila won first and second places in the next race with his bird “Samsam” flying strongly with a time of 16.699 seconds, then followed by his other falcon named “Buraq” (16.773 seconds); while Abdullah Khalfan Al Qubaisi’s bird “Dahab” came in third spot with at time of 16.807 seconds.

It was another exciting race in the next Jirnas run after Hamid Hamdan Amhi achieved first place with his bird “Bardan” finishing in 17.138 seconds, followed by Khaled Nasser Al-Hajri’s “Zindan” (17.220 seconds) and Abdullah Khalfan Al Qubaisi’s “Shaqran” (17.286 seconds).

In the final race, Muhammad Abdul-Wahhab Al-Hajri’s falcon “Barzan” finished first place with a time of 17.928 seconds, followed by Hamad Juma Al Falasi’s “G2” (17.980 seconds), and Ali Khaled Al-Nuaimi’s “Baroud” in third spot (18.064 seconds).

Dubai, 6 February 2022: The qualifying rounds for the 15th Saluki Championship, organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), kicked off to a strong start over the weekend at Dubai’s Al Marmoom racetrack.

Saluki racing is one of the most popular heritage sports in UAE. A large number of participants took part in the qualifying races as the Bedouin hunting dogs put on a show of speed and stamina. 

Categories

Salukis came from across the UAE and GCC.  There were qualifying matches in both amateur and professional categories – for both male and female salukis –  with the top three finishers in each race advancing to the finals. Races were also held in two distances – 2,500 metres and 1,000 metres.

Strong competition

Rashid Al Khasouni, HHC Director of Championships, expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the participants who trained hard for the championship. He said: “This reflects the strong level of competition as we have also witnessed an increased turnout of young participants who brought in their salukis.”

“The popularity of Saluki racing is because of its ability to be passed on to the younger generation. We really focus on motivating the young generation to participate in various heritage sports and we provide all the necessary support to reach their dreams,” he added.

Dubai, 4 February 2022:  Over 750 elite falcons have seen action in the General Public category of the 10th edition of Fakhr Al Ajyal (Pride of Generations) Falconry Championship organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) at Dubai’s Al Ruwayyah desert area

Fakhr Al Ajyal, which will run until February 14, is considered as one of the most important and biggest falconry tournaments in the region in terms of participation and financial rewards for winners. Race categories include Jeer Shaheen, Jeer Tehba, Pure Jeer and Al Garmousha. 

Fakhr Al Ajyal is an elite event for falconers from inside and outside the country looking for excellence through the competitions. This is also a great gathering of fraternal meeting honouring traditional Arabian values of courage, honour and nobility as well as nature conservation, respect for animals and fostering camaraderie among falconers.

Race results

In the first Al Garmousha run,  Mubarak Matar Al Khaili’s falcon “97” won first place after covering the 400-metre distance with a time of 19.898 seconds. Rashid Saeed Al Mansouri came in second spot with his  bird named “Brouk” (20.206 seconds), followed by Muslim Saif Al Khaili’s bird “Haqwa” in third spot (20.353 seconds).

Jirnas race: Thani Abdullah Al Falasi’s bird “J2” finished first (19.737 seconds), followed by Ghanem bin Hamouda Al Dhaheri’s bird “AD 88” (20.351 seconds), and Ghadeer Saeed Al Mansouri’s “Farq” (20.472 seconds).

Farkh race: Muhammad Mubarak Al-Hajri grabbed first place with his bird “Dhaja” (19.911 seconds), followed by Ahmed Salem Al-Ketbi’s “Watan” (20.094 seconds) and Ahmed Ateeq Al-Muhairi’s bird “G72” (20.175 seconds).

Garmousha run: Juma Abdullah Al-Falahi’s bird “G2” topped the race with a time of 19.640 seconds, followed by Ahmed Saghir Al-Ketbi’s “Dimensions” (19.745 seconds) and Juma Abdullah Al-Falahi’s bird “G1” (19.809 seconds).

Fifth race: Sari Ghashem Al-Mansoori won the first place his bird “Dana” (20.435 seconds), followed by Ahmed Rashid Al Khaili’s “Al Dana” (20.455 seconds), and Muhammad Khalfan Al Mansouri’s bird “G1” (20.744 seconds).

Pure Jeer runs: Ahmed Ateeq Al Muhairi grabbed first place with his bird “B42” finishing in 18.113 seconds, followed by Saeed Mosbeh Al-Shadi’s “Lafan” (18.116 seconds), then Nasser Bathan Al-Mansoori’s falcon “Seven” (18.170 seconds).

Seventh run: Juma Abdullah Al Falahi’s bird “B4” won first place with a time of 18.095 seconds, followed by Muhammad Suhail Al Falasi’s bird “Diamond” (18.213 seconds) and Sultan Rashid Al Mansouri’s “Julmoud” (18.445 seconds).

Farkh race: Rashid Suhail Al-Marri’s bird “SBS” finished first (18.499 seconds; followed by Obaid Saeed Al-Mazrouei;s bird “Nasi” (18.860 seconds), then Saeed Mosbeh Al-Shadi’s falcon named “Polite”.

Main Jernas race: Ahmed Ateeq Al-Muhairi topped the run with his bird named “B58” finishing in 18.945 seconds, followed by Ahmed Saghir Al-Ketbi’s “Hado” (18.955 seconds), and Abdullah Al Falasi’s “Shamimi” (19.297 seconds).

Final run: Ahmed Rashid Al Khaili’s bird “P10” finished in first place with a time of 20.026 seconds, followed closely by Rashid Al Mansouri’s bird “Danger” (20.201 seconds) and Abdullah Rashid Al Mansouri’s bird “P30” (20.355 seconds).

Dubai, 2 February 2022:  The General Public category at the 10th edition of Fakhr Al Ajyal (Pride of Generations) Falconry Championship, organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), saw strong participation from falconers across the UAE.

Being held at Dubai’s Al Ruwayyah desert area, Fakhr Al Ajyal will run until February 14. It is considered as one of the most important and biggest falconry tournaments in the region in terms of participation and financial rewards for winners.

Demaithan bin Suwaidan, Chairman of the Fazza Championships Committee for Falconry, noted the ever-increasing number of participants every year.  He said: The numbers are increasing annually in the Fazza Championships for Falconry, specifically in Fakhr Al Ajyal  due to the strong support of our leaders, who provide a falconers various to practice and hone their skills in this traditional sport

“We have also seen strong participation from the young Arabs and Emiratis who continue falconry that has been passed on from generations,” he added. 

Race results:

First run: Thani Abdullah Al Falasi’s bird “T-47” finished ahead of the pack in first place, covering the 400-metre distance in 17.879 seconds, followed closely in second place by Rashid Saeed Al-Mansoori’s falcon “Athmid” with a time of 17.998 second, and in third spot was Ghanim Ali Al Dhaheri’s bird “56” at 17.999 seconds.

Jirnas race: Mubarak Salem Al Marar won first place with his bird “Wad” that finished the race in 17.944 seconds, followed by Hamad Abdullah Al Muraikhi’s bird “Al Mihem” (18.141 seconds), and Abdullah Shams Al Ameri’s “Shuja” (18,249 seconds).

Third run: Abdullah Rashid Al-Mansoori achieved first place falcon “007” (18.519 seconds); Ahmed Rashid Al-Mansoori’s falcon came in second place (18.598 seconds) and in third spot was Khaled Juma Al-Hamli’s bird “4” (18.650 seconds).

Main Jirnas race: Khalfan Abdullah Al-Marar won first place his bird “Aziz” (17.875 seconds); followed by Mubarak Salem Al-Mara’s falcon “Sarmad” (17.957 seconds); and Abdullah Rashid Al-Mansoori’s bird “37” with (18.089 seconds).

Fifth race: Ali Saif Al Shamsi won first place with his falcon “88” with a time of 18.424 seconds, followed by Rashid Muhammad Al-Zahmi’s “D151” (18.438 seconds), and Khamis Rashid Al Mazrouei’s bird “37” (18.491 seconds).

Jeer Tihba run: Rashid Saeed Al Mansouri’s bird “Challenge” came on top with a time of 17.371 seconds, followed by Saeed Rashid Al Mansouri’s “Shabibi” (17.525 seconds), then Matar Al Mansouri with his bird “Lightning” (17.591 seconds).

Jirnas race: Sultan Rashid Al-Mansoori grabbed first place with his bird “Goutros” that finished the race in 17.590 seconds. He also won second place with falcon named “Dahab” (17.696 seconds); and in third spot was Rashid Saeed Al Mansouri’s “Sesame” (18.043 seconds.)

Final race: Muhammad Salem Al-Shadi won first place with his bird “Dismissed” finishing in 18.852 seconds, followed by Khalfan Nader Al Qubaisi’s bird “Bu Bashir” (18.923 seconds); and Khalifa Khamis Al Kindi’s bird “T20” came third in 19.187 seconds.

The General Public category continues on Thursday, February 3.

Dubai, January 29, 2022: The cast is now complete: Mansour Al Falasi booked the fourth and final ticket to the Golden Square, the semi-final round of the 22nd Fazza Championship for Youlah and 17th edition of Al Meydan Program, organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC).

Al Falasi, who edged over Muhammad Al Shehhi by just one point, has joined Awad Al-Amiri, Rashid Balrakad and Fayyad Al-Amri in the Golden Square, before an over-all grand winner will be hailed as the Meydan Grand Knight.

Tight competition

Al Falasi were tied Al Shehhi going into the final event on Friday night but Al Falasi showed his composure and beat Al Shehhi by one point. Al Falasi got the nod of the judges and scored 49 points while Al Shehhi earned 48 markers.

Early in the week, Al Falasi dominated the 50-metre swimming competition held at Hamdan Sports Complex to get 20 points. But Al-Shehhi came back with strength and won the Arabic poetry recitation, supervised by poet Muhammad Al-Murr Al-Abd, and earned 10 markers. He also won the Saktoun rifle shooting and got additional 15 points.

Al Falasi bounced back by excelling in the camel race, which was also held on Friday at Dubai Camel Racing Club’s Al Marmoom Race Track, and earned 20 points.

It was in the Youlah competition that Al Falasi finally broke away with the one-point win.

Nathalie Awadissian, chairman of the Organising Committee of the Fazza Championship for Youlah and HHC Director of Radio Stations Department, Media and Corporate Communication, said: “The very tight quarterfinal competition only showed the competitiveness and level of skills of the participants this season. They have really trained hard and are very eager to win the Cup. The contestants have been empowered in various heritage competitions and have shown great merit and enthusiasm.”

Dubai, January 22, 2022: Awad Al-Amiri booked the third ticket to the Golden Square, the semi-final round of the 22nd Fazza Championship for Youlah and 17th edition of Al Meydan Program, organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC).

Al-Amiri showed his superiority over Ahmed Al-Habsi during the competition held on Friday evening at Dubai Camel Racing Club’s Al Marmoom Race Track. Al-Amiri joined Rashid Balrakad and Fayyad Al-Amri in the Golden Square, before an over-all grand winner will be hailed as the Meydan Grand Knight. 

Rashid Al Khasouni, HHC Director of Championships, noted winning the Gold Cup requires diligence and keeping pace with the high level of competitions. “This season will not be easy with the high level of competitions and challenges involved in the event, especially as we draw close to the final round,” he added.

Results

Al-Habsi started strong, after winning the swimming competition held earlier during the week at the Hamdan Sports Complex. He won the 50-meter swimming race, and got 10 points. He also finished first in the 1,500-meter horse race, which was held in cooperation with the Dubai Mounted Police, and received another 20 points.  

But Al-Amiri found his form and excelled in the Arabic poetry recitation, supervised by  poet Muhammad Al-Murr Balabd, and gained 10 points. He got 20 markers in the Saktoun rifle. It was in Youlah public voting that Al-Amiri finally prevailed after receiving 25 points to increase his total to 55 markers, as compared to 45 for Al-Habsi.

Dubai, 16 January 2021: The curtain came down to conclude another season of strong season and great participation from falconers across the country and GCC in the main Fazza Championship for Falconry–Telwa, organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center, in Al Ruwayyah area in Dubai. 

The organizing committee crowned the first place winners in a warm atmosphere and fraternal meeting that is renewed every year to celebrate this traditional sport in the best way.

Demethian Bin Suwaidan, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, said the large participation and high level of competitions this year “stemmed from everyone’s keenness to win the first places on one hand, and the constant quest of falconers to preserve this heritage sport on another hand.”

“Fazza Championship for Falconry is an annual event for falconers from inside and outside the country looking for excellence through the competitions. This is also a great gathering of fraternal meeting and high spirit as we celebrate falconry with the traditional Arabian values of courage, honour and nobility as well as nature conservation, respect for animals and the camaraderie among falconers.”

Awarding

On Saturday, the Junior Category was held. Hamdan Suhail Al Kindi excelled with his bird “56” finishing in first place covering the 400-metre distance with a time of 21.949 seconds, followed very closely by Rashid Hamdan Al Kindi’ falcon “6” at 21.965 seconds. In third place was Ahmed Thani Al Muhairi’s bird “T23” (22.136 seconds).

During the finale of the championship, Team F3 dominated the first race as bird “S10” finished in first place with a time of 18.787 seconds. Second place went to Team M7’s bird “Amazing” (19.027 seconds) and third was another Team F3 falcon named “BK” (19.029 seconds).

Team M7 won the Jirnas race with the bird “Ramah” finishing in first place with a time of 18.401 seconds, followed by Al Dhafra’s bird “S26” at 18.463 seconds, and in third spot was Team F3’s bird “3” (18.469 seconds).

Al-Ylayes achieved first place in another race with bird “B29” finishing in 18.948 seconds to grab first place, followed by Team MRM’s bird “J1” (19.227 seconds) and Team F3 in third spot (19.268 seconds).

Team F3 bounced back to dominate the fourth race with the bird named “Arion” coming in first place with a time of 18.360 seconds, followed by Team Al Dhafra in second and third places.

Team F3 also won first place in another race as bird “016” covered the entire 400-metre distance in 18.996 seconds, followed by another Team F3 falcon “013” in second place and Team “Al-Ylayes” bird “B27” in third spot. 

Dubai, January 15, 2022: Fayyad Al-Amiri showed grace and composure as he clinched the second ticket to the Golden Square, the semi-final round of the 22nd Fazza Championship for Youlah and 17th edition of Al Meydan Program.

Organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), the event was held on Friday evening at Dubai Camel Racing Club’s Al Marmoom Race Track. Two Yuweels (participants) are battling every Friday to move to the next round before an over-all grand winner will be hailed as the Meydan Grand Knight.

Al-Amiri handily outscored Obaid bin Rakkad, 60-40, as he excelled in four of the six competitions, including swimming, camel race, horse riding and poetry reading, while Ibn Rakkad showed his marksmanship in the Saktroun rifle shooting and public voting in Youlah.

In the swimming competition that was held earlier in the week at Hamdan Sports Complex, Al-Amri finished first in the 50-metre race and obtained 10 points. He also won in the 1,500-meter horse race, held in cooperation with the Dubai Mounted Police, and grabbed another 20 points.

In poetry reading, supervised by poet Muhammad Al-Murr Bel-Abd, Al-Amiri again excelled and earned 10 marks. He also finished on top in the camel race and got another 20 points.

Ibn Rakkad, meanwhile, got 15 points in Saktoun rifle shooting and another 25 points in Youlah public voting.

High level of competition

Nathalie Awadissian, chairman of the Organising Committee of the Fazza Championship for Youlah and HHC Director of Radio Stations Department, Media and Corporate Communication, said: “This season, contestants who qualified have been empowered in various heritage competitions and have shown great merit and enthusiasm. The high level of competition among Emiratis has a strong appeal and following from the public who watch the weekly competitions at our new location at Dubai Camel Racing Club’s Al Marmoom Race Track.”

Rashid Al Khasouni, HHC Director of Championships, was present on Friday, which was broadcast live over Al Oula Radio and Sama Dubai TV and posted on HHC social media platforms.