Top three fastest qualifiers in each round to advance to the final round

DUBAI, 18th February 2017:  The 10th edition of the Saluki Championship organized by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) will kick-off on Saturday 18th February in Al Marmoum area of Dubai commencing at 1.00pm. 

The tournament will see some changes in the qualifying format for the first time in the Amateur category ahead of the final round to be held on 25th February at the same venue.

Ms. Suad Ibrahim Darwish, Director of Championships at HHC, emphasized that changes in the qualification round have been made to encourage the young generation to continue the legacy of this traditional sport and ignite the spirit of competition.

'The new format of the Championship will provide greater opportunities for the participants to qualify for the finals and more chances of winning the competition. The championship has been developed to support the participants and instill the spirit of competition, providing them with more chances to succeed. We have two categories of racing for Amateurs and Professionals. Having a qualifying round for the Amateur category on the first day of the Championship will help to determine the best contestants in every race and will definitely raise the standard of competition,” she said. 

The new format for the championship this season will see 10 rounds of qualification – five each for male and female contestants – with the race run over a distance of 2.5 kilometers. The top three fastest winners in each round will advance to the final round the following Saturday 25th February.

There will be no qualifying round in the Professional category on 25th February which will be held over two distances – one kilometer (only for Greyhound) and 2.5 kilometers – for both male and female contestants.

Mr. Juma Khalifa Al Muhairi, Head of the Saluki Championship Committee at HHC, said the new qualifying format provides greater motivation and opportunities for contestants in the Amateur category to improve their skills and be among the top 15 finalists.

“Apart from ensuring a smooth competition with a high degree of professionalism by Amateur participants, the elite contestants will be spurred into action by the quality of competition in a level playing field where the differences between the top Salukis will be very minimal,” he said.

'With the development of this new competition format, we expect more runners in the next few years, including entries from countries in the region. We have seen an exponential growth in the sport during the past few years and have started to lay the cornerstone for the future and meet this demand. We are thinking of having more categories in this tournament, but the idea is still in the pipeline,' he added.

Additionally, the prizes in this year’s tournament will see some changes. In order to support and encourage the participant, prizes will be awarded to the top ten of each competition. 

Saluki is one of the oldest breeds of pet dogs in the world and is also highly regarded in the region among the Arabs for her skill in hunting. It is also used in tournaments for racing as the main pastime.

The official sponsors of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Center are Al Tayer Motors, Land Rover, Dubai Airports, AW Rostamani (Arabian Automobiles), Global Village and Al Oula Radio.