Falcon tradition inspires passion in World Cup host Qatar - Danbury News Times

ISABEL DEBRE, Associated Press

Nov. 19, 2022

For centuries, Arabs crossed the portion person utilized falcons to hunt and recited poems extolling their virtues. Today, the birds of prey service arsenic potent reminders of Qatari civilization and contented adjacent arsenic the skyscraper-studded metropolis races to acceptable itself for the world's biggest sporting event.

“Of course, shot is the parent of sports. But alongside shot determination are other, precise important sports that we privation foreigners to recognize astir Qatar,” said Khalid al-Kaja, a 45-year-old falconer primitively from the Syrian countryside who moved to Doha with his household implicit 2 decades agone to breed the bird. “The mode that we woody with falcons says truthful overmuch astir our narration with the desert, with nature. It brings america backmost to the basics of life."

Excited fans from astir the satellite trickled into Souq Waqif connected Saturday, a time earlier the World Cup opening ceremony, braving Doha's piercing autumn prima to rotation done the stalls of perfume and incense and cheque the banal of squawking parrots and lovebirds.

In a acheronian alley, al-Kaja expressed anticipation that the spotlight of the World Cup would boost planetary appreciation for the past pastime to which helium has dedicated his life. Lines of falcons, tethered to perches, waited to beryllium appraised connected Saturday. For Qatari customers, the raptors service arsenic beloved pets, presumption symbols — and ferocious hunters.

“Qatar has this caller infrastructure, the buildings, everything," al-Kaja said, referring to the $200 cardinal that the energy-rich state has poured into the shot tournament, gathering up immense air-conditioned stadiums, swanky hotels and adjacent a metro strategy to whisk fans astir the city. Just northbound of the historical Souq Waqif, the skyscrapers of West Bay glittered.

“But we don't hide the past. Falconry is simply a passionateness that brings the full portion together," al-Kaja said.

In caller years the popularity of falconry has soared, helium added, arsenic Qatari citizens and long-time Arab residents spot rising worth successful taste holdovers from a clip earlier the emirate was adjacent a country, fto unsocial a hub of earthy state wealthiness and planetary business.

Falcon clubs, quality contests and races person sprouted up successful the godforsaken of Qatar and crossed the Arabian Peninsula, causing falcon prices to surge, traders say. The finest successful al-Kaja's store fetch arsenic overmuch arsenic 1 cardinal Qatari riyal ($274,680), helium said.

Nowhere is the emotion of falcons much evident than Doha's adjacent Souq Waqif Falcon Hospital — an full aesculapian installation devoted to the adept attraction and attraction of the birds. Surgeons mend breached falcon bones, record their excessively agelong nails and behaviour full-body vertebrate X-rays.

But adjacent among the falcon-crazed, excitement astir the World Cup — the archetypal ever successful the Arab satellite — looms large. One Qatari falconer, Masnad Ali Al Mohannadi, advertises his beloved bird, named Neyar, arsenic a psychic susceptible of choosing World Cup lucifer winners.

Earlier this week successful Al Khor, immoderate 50 kilometers (30 miles) northbound of Doha, helium tied pigeon nutrient to the flags of Qatar and Ecuador — the teams that volition footwear disconnected the tourney connected Sunday. Two drones pulled the flags into the sky. As they fluttered overhead, Al Mohannadi, successful his aviator sunglasses and accepted achromatic robe, asked his falcon to take the winner.

“Go for Qatar, spell for Qatar!” helium pleaded arsenic helium unleashed his vertebrate into the limpid godforsaken air. Neyar rushed toward Qatar's flag. But a infinitesimal later, the raptor plunged successful the other direction, attacking the nutrient wrapped successful Ecuador's nationalist colors.

“He chose Ecuador,” said Al Mohannadi. Disappointment flickered crossed his face. “God willing, Qatar volition win.”

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Associated Press writers Nebi Qena and Srdjan Nedeljkovic contributed to this report.