DOHA — In the deserts of northern
Qatar,
children with a falcon perched on gloves on their left arms show off their
hunting birds in a bid to preserve an age-old tradition.
اضافة اعلان
These “Little Falconers” have gathered in a tent
ahead of the football World Cup in the gas-rich Gulf emirate, in a bid to
introduce visitors to a practice inherited from their forefathers.
“This is my first participation in the competition,”
says 11-year-old Breik Al-Marri, dressed in flowing white robes beside his
falcon Gasham, a leather hood obstructing the bird’s view.
“I love Gasham and I take care of him,” Marri said,
sliding his left arm into a thick leather gauntlet to protect him from the
raptor’s sharp talons.
Falconry was added to the
UNESCO list of intangible
cultural heritage in 2010, in countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the
UAE.
“Originally a means of obtaining food, falconry ...
has been integrated into communities as a social and recreational practice and
as a way of connecting with nature,” the culture agency said.
‘Strength of determination’
“I learned this sport from
my grandfathers, father, and uncles,” said Marri. “I learned from them the
strength of determination and how to take care of the falcon.”
Marri explains that the hood helps keep the bird of
prey calm. As soon as the falcon regains sight, he says, the behavior changes.
“Once, my brother came while the falcon didn’t have
the hood on, and he tried to pet the bird, but the falcon bit him,” he said.
“The falcon was scared!”
Marri recently participated with a dozen others in
the “Promising Falconers” contest for 11–15 year olds.
The contest sees each young falconer choose the
perfect moment to release their bird in order to snatch their prey, a lure
waved about 200m away.
The winner of the contest is the falconer whose bird
captures the prey the quickest.
‘Beautiful sport’
Also taking part in the
contest was 15-year-old Saeed Al-Jamila, who named his falcon Hayya — after the
special fan passes for the FIFA World Cup, which runs from November 20 to
December 18.
Expressing excitement at the more than one million
fans expected to descend on his small nation for the tournament, he hopes to
send a message encouraging them to try falconry themselves.
“They should try it, they won’t lose anything,” he
said. “It’s a beautiful sport.”
But while excitement abounded for the young
falconers in this division, it was undoubtedly the “Little Falconers” aged six
to 10 who stole the show.
One by one, they trailed out in a row, each holding
a hunting bag, while on their right arm they balanced the birds whose claws
were bigger than the children’s hands.
Eight-year-old Hamad Al-Nuaimi stepped out in front
of the panel of judges, who began questioning on hunting tools, their uses and
properties.
At one point, Nuaimi stumbled for a response to one
of the questions, only to be helped along by one of the judges.
The purpose of the contest is to “preserve our
heritage and that of our forefathers. We are passing this heritage to this
generation,” says panel member Saad Al-Muhannadi.
The little falconers are then tested on their
ability to properly remove the birds’ hoods, then to successfully place them
from their arm to a perch, securing their feet using a special knot.
“Hunting teaches a man perseverance and
self-reliance,” said Muhannadi, as the strong scent of coffee wafted from
nearby.
He hoped that the hosting of the World Cup would grant
Qatar the opportunity to “spread our culture and national identity”.
Falconry “is an ancient sport, whether in Qatar or other
Gulf countries, it is an authentic sport,” he said.
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