A falconer with his falcon during the competition.
Doha, Qatar: For the second day in a row, falconers failed to catch pigeons in the Haddad Al-Tahadi Championship, part of the 17th Qatar International Falconry and Hunting Festival (Marmi 2026).
The festival is held under the patronage of H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani and is supported by the Social and Sports Activities Support Fund “Daam” in the Marmi Sabkha in Sealine. It will continue until the 24th of this month.
In the competition between falcons and homing pigeons, the pigeons emerged victorious in the fifth group. None of the falcons were able to catch the pigeons, which returned safely to their nests in Umm Abeiriyah for the second consecutive day.
In this context, Head of the Haddad Al Tahadi Committee Shawi Al Kaabi stated that the falconers in the fifth group were indeed unable to catch any of their pigeons, and Abdullah Fakhro’s pigeons prevailed for the second day. The number of winners in the championship and those who qualified for the final remains at eight falconers.
Al-Kaabi stated that it’s difficult to definitively say the falcons are weak or untrained. He explained that the competition involved the falcons pursuing and attempting to corner the homing pigeons, but the pigeons remained fast due to their light weight and rigorous training.
Homing pigeons are among the fastest birds, making the competition fierce, but the falcons were ultimately unsuccessful.
He added that the Hadad Al-Tahadi Championship would continue today evening (January 7) with the sixth group, urging participants to arrive early to allow the committee to begin its work and ensure a well-organised event.
For his part, Abdullah Fakhro, a homing pigeon owner, said that the pigeons’ success for the second consecutive day in the Hadad Al-Tahadi Championship, part of the Marmi Festival, confirms that organised work and continuous training make all the difference in such challenging competitions. He explained that the homing pigeons demonstrated a high degree of agility and accurate reading of the falcons’ flight paths in the skies above Sealine, enabling them to escape and return safely to their lofts despite the falcons’ powerful flight and rapid dives.
Fakhro added that the secret to this success lies in his constant focus on diversifying and continuously updating his racing pigeons by introducing new breeds and young birds, no more than one or two years old.
These young birds possess high vitality and a better response to training and endurance. However, he emphasised that he doesn’t know in advance which pigeon will win a particular prize, which lends greater credibility to the competition and makes the challenge fairer and more exciting.
Fakhro expressed his happiness and pride in the racing pigeons’ victory over the falconers for the second consecutive day, affirming that this achievement is a success for the Haddad Challenge Championship itself and reflects the advanced level reached by the Marmi Festival competitions and the significant role they play in showcasing this sport.
