Rashid bin Humaid Falconry Championship in Ajman Announces the Launch of the Second Edition

AJMAN, 22^nd January 2018: Amid expectations of the participation of a large number of young Emirati falconers specialized in this kind of heritage sports that reflect the culture of the UAE society, the Organizing Committee announced the launch of the second edition of the Rashid Bin Humaid Falconry Championship held in cooperation with the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) in Ajman.

Details of the second edition of the tournament were announced at the Press conference held on Monday, 22^ndJanuary at the Ramada Hotel and Suites. The conference was attended by Ahmed Rashid Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and members of the Organizing Committee: Saif Abdullah Bin Ghalaita Al Ghafli, Mohammed Salem Al Kaabi and Khalifa Al Nuaimi.

The press conference was attended by the Director of Championships at HHC, Ms. Suad Ibrahim Darwish, and a number of HHC officials.

The Organizing Committee said that registration will be accepted from 23^rd to 26^th January between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm for the championship that will be held on Saturday 27^th January in Ajman.

The Rashid Bin Humaid Falconry Championship will be worked off in five categories: Pure Jeer, Jeer Tabaa, Jeer Shaheen and Qarmoosha Jeer (Adults) and Wahish (Juniors).

Patronage

Ahmed Rashid Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, said: “Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, His Highness Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of the Executive Council, Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Head of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, is pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of Rashid Al Nuaimi Falconry Championship. After the success of the inaugural championship last year when HH Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and the Ruler of Ajman, graced the competition which is supported by HHC, on the directives of Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Head of Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, and the Chairman of the Supreme Organizing Committee of the championship, we doubled our efforts to upgrade this tournament to underline the importance of falconry to the youth sector by harnessing their energies to learn the skills and be proud of this heritage sport.”

The Rashid Bin Humaid Falconry Championship reflects the vision to the future of reinforcing the national identity with something very Emirati which is falconry.

“This tournament is the first in the Emirate of Ajman. Its continuation for the second year, is a significant social and cultural event that is closely related to the intangible heritage of the UAE and the region. We invite the falconers to participate in the tournament. We also invite the fans to attend and follow the competitions. The inaugural tournament was hugely popular among both residents and tourists who wanted to know about this sport,” said Ahmed Rashid Al Shamsi.

The Rashid Bin Humaid Falconry Championship in Ajman provides a platform for other emirates to hold competitions by using expertise in a spirit of cooperation.

“We appreciate the efforts of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center for their cooperation in supervising and organizing this tournament, especially as the HHC has conducted falconry championships for nearly two decades and which contributed to the success of the inaugural edition of the tournament. The significance of a united effort to preserve this traditional sport in all emirates reinforces the intangible culture heritage of the UAE and highlights the spirit of cooperation for such tournaments that are held annually around the country,” said Ahmed Rashid Al Shamsi.

The other members of the committee spoke about the details of the second edition of the tournament and the categories of participation and the number of participants in the inaugural event, which attracted 400 participants.

Cooperation

Ms. Suad Ibrahim Darwish said HHC was pleased to extend their cooperation and support for the Rashid Bin Humaid Falconry Championship in Ajman.

She said: “We are pleased to provide support in all technical and organizational areas, and to share our expertise with the Rashid bin Humaid Falconry Championship committee, to organize a specialized falconry tournament. We want to ensure that the tournament committee overcomes any challenges to establish a successful championship at all levels, especially as all the HHC’s efforts enhance the synergy between the two emirates in order to revive and preserve the intangible cultural heritage of the United Arab Emirates. We are confident this will be a new destination for the participation of elite professional falconers and to provide the young generation a new heritage activity. Best wishes to all the contestants.”

Location

The Championship will be held in the Hileo area of ??Ajman from at 8:30 am on 27th January 2018.

Registration can be made through the website http://rrr.ae to participate in the tournament and follow the events directly. The competition can also be monitored via the Instagram rrrfalconry.

Sponsors of the Rashid Bin Humaid Falconry Championship are: Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman, Arab Marketing Company, Al Murtoon Real Estate, Prestige Contracting, Sweet Homes and Tech Group.

Quarry

The ancient art of taking wild quarry with a trained bird of prey, Falconry is a traditional and highly valued custom in the UAE, reflecting the Bedouin love of this sport. During races, the falcons are timed over a distance of 400 meters, with the best clocking around 20 seconds. They are lured using bait of pigeon wings.

The sponsors of Rashid bin Humaid Falconry Championship are: Ramada Hotel and Suites Ajman, Al Arabia Marketing, Al Rasikhoon Real Estates, Prestige Constructions LLC, Sweet Homes Real Estate, and Tech Group.