Four days of excitement in Al Marmoom as local Saluki race pedigrees put on a show of speed and stamina

Dubai,UAE

Sallam Sallam

The qualifying rounds for the 14th Saluki Championship organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), kicked off to a strong start over the weekend at Dubai’s Al Marmoom racetrack and continue till tomorrow.

Saluki racing is one of the most popular heritage sports in UAE. A large number of participants took part in the qualifying races as the Bedouin hunting dogs put on a show of speed and stamina. 

Categories

There were qualifying matches in both amateur and professional categories with the top three in each race advancing to the finals.

Four races were held in the Female Salukis amateur category on Friday for a distance of 2,500 metres. There were also 4 matches on Saturday for the Male Salukis amateur category and the distance was also 2,500 meters.

In the Professional category, the 2,500-metre male and female Saluki qualifying rounds have a total of 6 matches – 3 for each gender, and were held today, January 31. Meanwhile, the Professional category for male and female Saluki 1,000 meter qualifying race will be held on 1 February with 6 matches. 

Strong competition

Suad Ibrahim Darwish, HHC Director of Championships, expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the participants who trained hard for the championship. She noted: “This reflects the strong level of competition.” 

“We have also witnessed an increased turnout of young participants.  We really focus on motivating the young generation to participate in various heritage sports and we provide all the necessary support to reach their dreams,” she added.

“The improved level of managing the championship and the professional level of the Saluki trainers and competitors have contributed to the popularity of the sport. We look forward to hosting an exceptional edition with the finals to be held soon”, Suad concluded.

The Saluki finals will take place about 18 to 20 days after the end of the qualifiers.