Camel racing competitions kick off in Qatar

Camel Racing in Qatar

The 6th local race for purebred Arabian camels (2021-2022), organized by the Hejen Racing Committee, has recently culminated – making it one of the successful camel racing competitions that kicked off in Qatar this season.

In the morning general race competitions, Murray King Abdul Hadi Khalil Al-Hajri won the title of the first half of the main race for open tricks, while Baghdad King Salem Saqr Al-Muraikhi landed in the second place.

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Traditionally known as the sport of the sheiks, camel racing is a big event in Qatar. Though professional camel racing only began in 1972, the sport has a much longer history. 

During the race season, thousands of camels from Qatar and further afield compete to win various valuable prizes, such as gold and silver daggers or swords. 

The race distance varies depending on the tournaments, however, most professional races run for 6, 8 or 10km. The competition is fast and furious, with camels capable of running at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.

Hejen Racing Committee, The Camel Racing Organizing Committee (CROC) of Qatar, headed by HE Sh. Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Faisal Al Thani, has been performing its duties and responsibilities in developing this heritage and traditional sport and to deep-rooting it in the hearts of its fans generation after generation.

Since the early 80s of the past century  the CROC continues, year after year, its creativity and innovation to maintain this popular sport by organizing the camel races, both local and grand, and granting valuable  monetary and in-kind awards to the winners in all the  festivals and races held at Al Shahaniya racetrack. Accordingly, The CROC of Qatar is considered to be one of the most important camel racing organizing committees in the GCC region.

Source: QNA