Team F3-K off to a flying start in Fazza Championship for Falconry - Telwah

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Team F3-K off to a flying start in Fazza Championship for Falconry - Telwah

Al Dhafra Falcons team and YLS shared the honours in the Jeer Shaheen Jernas event in the Sheikhs category.

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A Staff Reporter

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Published: Sun 7 Jan 2018, 2:29 PM

Last updated: Sun 7 Jan 2018, 4:36 PM

Team F3-K headed by top Emirati falconer Khalifa Bin Mijren ruled the roost on the first day of the Fazza Championship for Falconry - Telwah (the lure), organized and supervised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) in Dubai on Tuesday 2nd of January.
F3-K entries clocked the fastest times in all three disciplines (Trophy, Car and Cash) of the Jeer Shaheen Farkh event in the Sheikhs category to kick-off the 2017-18 Fazza Heritage Championships in the new year.
Al Dhafra Falcons team and YLS shared the honours in the Jeer Shaheen Jernas event in the Sheikhs category.
The first day of competition under the new format in which every event is a final saw the participation of more than 180 falcons of the highest quality. The Championship will continue until Monday January 15th at the dedicated site for falconry in Ruwayyah area off Emirates Road (Exit 55) in Dubai.
Trophy
Team F3-K began the Trophy event in style clocking the day's fastest time of 17.824 seconds setting the pace in brilliant sunshine with its maiden entry. Al Dhafra Falcons team were in the running for second place after their entry clocked 17.891 seconds, but were upstaged by another F3-K team entry which clocked 17.833, just 0.009 seconds off the winner's pace.
In an ominous sign of what to expect during the next fortnight, Khalifa Bin Mijrin said the falcons were not so fast because it is the first race of the season.
"Some of the falcons are just warming up. It is a new season. They can go faster than this. However, there will be tough competition in every race with fractions of seconds separating the winners as seen in this race," said Khalifa Bin Mijrin after winning the opening event.
Cars
A keen tussle for supremacy was witnessed between F3-K and Al Dhafra Falcons who closed the gap in the discipline for Cars.
F3-K entry 81Madrid soared to victory in the Jeer Shaheen Farkh (Cars) in the Sheikhs category clocking the best time of 18.183 seconds after another F3-K entry set the pace clocking 18.504. Al Dhafra Falcons team had the satisfaction of grabbing second place when their entry clocked 18.213, just .030 seconds off the winner's pace.
Cash
Team F3-K swept the first three places Jeer Shaheen Farkh (Cash) event in the Sheikhs category when a falcon named H236 clocked the fastest time of 18.062 from among 40 starters while S91 (18.182) and JS77 (18.422) were placed second and third respectively.
Jernas
YLS team upstaged F3-K in the Jeer Shaheen Jernas (Trophy) event in the Sheikhs category when their entry named B-124 clocked 17.508 seconds. Falcons of F3-K (17.630) and F3-R (17.736) were placed second and third respectively.
Al Dhafra Falcons tasted success in the Jeer Shaheen Jernas (Cars) event in the Sheikhs category when their falcon named A2 clocked 17.887 seconds followed by F3-K (18.219) and YLS (18.405).
Professionalism
Ms. Suad Ibrahim Darwish, Director of Championships at HHC, said the change in the tournament format has produced a high standard of competition and more professionalism.
She said: "We begin 2018 with full of optimism in the 'Year of Sheikh Zayed' and have a big responsibility to achieve success in heritage-based championships. Our challenge is to achieve our goals and realize our vision by showing the best of our culture and showcase Emirati culture through sports. We have provided the best facilities for the falcons and falconers to show their full potential."
Ms. Suad Ibrahim also announced that in the next few days, they would be making arrangements to give away the awards to the winners immediately after the conclusion of each event.
Judges
One of the judges in the Fazza Falconry Committee Abdulaziz Al Ali said there was more transparency in the adjudication of results thanks to improvements in technology each year.
"I was a little tense before the start of the event because I was tasked to be at the starting point where the falcons take off. I had to ensure that all the rules and regulations were adhered to. We have eight judges to monitor all what is happening along the course thanks to aid of smart technology. This in turn has raised the standard of competition and timings achieved," he said.
Format
One of the largest and popular among the series of falconry championships, the Fazza Championship for Falconry - Telwah, will see the participation of elite contenders in various categories and events.
This year's Championship promises to be even more exciting with the format having been changed adding to the thrill and suspense of the competition. Every event will be a virtual final since qualification rounds have been done away with except in the RC (Remote Controlled) Airplane category. As a result there will multiple winners on each day of the competition, with surprises galore in store for the champions in addition to cars, cash prizes and trophies.
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 Fazza Championship for Falconry - Telwah will see competition in the Sheikhs and General Public categories, in addition to contests for Juniors, Locals and GCC participants during the 14-day tournament, in addition to RC Airplanes category.
Schedule
Following is the schedule of events for Fazza Championship for Falconry - Telwah with competition scheduled to begin at 9.00 am on each day.
Wednesday January 3rd: Jeer Tabaa Farkh and Jeer Tabaa Jernas (Sheikhs)
Thursday January 4th: Pure Jeer Farkh and Pure Jeer Jernas (Sheikhs)
Friday January 5th: Qarmoosha Farkh and Qarmoosha Jernas (Sheikhs)
Saturday January 6th: Tabaa Wahish and Tabaa Jeer (Juniors)
Sunday January 7th: Jeer Shaheen Farkh and Jeer Shaheen Jernas (General Public)
Monday January 8th: Jeer Tabaa Farkh and Jeer Tabaa Jernas (General Public)
Tuesday January 9th: Pure Jeer Farkh and Pure Jeer Jernas (General Public)
Wednesday January 10th: Qarmoosha Farkh and Qarmoosha Jernas (General Public)
Thursday January 11th: RC Airplanes Qualifying (Sheikhs)
Friday January 12th: RC Airplanes Qualifying (General Public)
Saturday January 13th: Hurr Wahish Farkh and Hurr Wahish Jernas (Local and Gulf)
Sunday January 14th: Shaheen Wahish Farkh and Hurr Wahish Jernas (Local and Gulf)
Monday January 15th: RC Airplanes Final (Sheikhs and General Public)


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