Senior falconers call for ‘GCC Union of Falconry’ to promote the sport at the regional level

Dubai, 19 February 2014: The 2nd edition of the Fazza Championship for Falconry witnessed some spectacular action from visiting ‘Khaleejis’ or GCC falconers including those from Qatar, KSA, Kuwait and Oman who vied for the top positions in a highly competitive round of falconry in Ruwayyah.

Nearly 200 falconers from across the GCC who missed the first edition of the Championship since they were away on hunting expeditions were thrilled to return to another closely fought contest of the Fazza Championship for Falconry which culminated in Qatari falconers winning 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

This year, the Championships have seen a tremendous increase in the prize money, with a record number of luxury cars being awarded to winning contestants over a two month period.

Ali Ben Khatem Mohamed Al Mehshhadi, president of the Qatar society of Al Gannas and the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival said: “The scale and magnitude of this Championship has grown exponentially since the past few years.

“We have been calling for the establishment of a ‘GCC Union of Falconry’, and for a different country in the GCC to host these prestigious Championships every year. The UAE has been known to play a key role in unifying the GCC and an initiative of this kind would be hugely beneficial to the sport.”

Qatari poet and falconer Hamad Al Jamila who was participating in the Championships said that the competition had evolved beyond his expectations. “I would like to thank Fazza for his support and personal involvement in these Championships. Not only have they encouraged competition and mutual interaction between falconers, but the Championships are reviving the market for falcon trade in the region.”

Competing Saudi falconer Fahad Al Zuman, who is a regular participant at the Championships added: “We do not have any falconry competitions in Saudi Arabia, hence most Saudis head straight to Dubai to participate in these Championships. We look up to Fazza as a role model because he has encouraged an entire generation of Saudi falconers to take up this traditional sport.”

Winning Qatari falconers walked away with cars including a Range Rover, a Lexus SUV and off-road pick up vehicles. Runners up were awarded cash prizes of AED 10,000 each.

Souad Darwish, director of the Fazza Championships said: “HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai has been extremely generous with these Championships and a growing number of falconers are travelling to Dubai solely to participate in this Championship. We hope that we can encourage more domestic and international participation in this sport in the future.”

The Fazza Championship for Falconry - Nokhbah Championship (Elites) which sees finalists from across categories compete for the final prize will take place on 19 February 2014 in Ruwayyah.