The 14th edition of the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2023) concluded this weekend with an awarding ceremony for the most beautiful falcon at Katara Cultural Village.
The ceremony was attended by VIP guests, heads of diplomatic missions, dignitaries and the board of directors of Al Qannas Qatari Society, alongside a number of falconers from Qatar and other GCC countries.
Falcon beauty contest
HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the winners of the falcon beauty contest, which saw the participation of 101 falcons from across different types and categories. The first prize winner in the category of wild falcon breeds won a cash prize of QAR700,000, while the second and third prize winners each take home QAR500,000 and QAR300,000, respectively.
Under the farm-bred falcons’ category, winners also receive cash prizes amounting to QAR200,000 (first prize), QAR150,000 (second prize) and QAR100,000 (third prize).
According to Saleh Mohamed Al-Kuwari, who heads this year’s falcon ‘beauty contest’, the contest this year was tight because of the high number of participating falcons.
Earlier in the week, the Umm Al-Zabar team won a Lexus SUV when it emerged on top of the Hadad Al-Tahadi Championship. They won through a draw from four teams, after several rounds involving 75 contestants over two days. The other three took home QAR100,000 each.
Marmi 2023 was organised by Al Qannas Qatari Society under the patronage of HE Sheikh Joaan. The festival drew local, regional and international attention as one of the major events to showcase the heritage sport in Qatar.
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