Bird race shows strong launching in Kuwait

The bird race competition of Kuwait's National Heritage Festival has witnessed a strong starting and distinguished presence on the part of rivals from Kuwait and other Arabian Gulf countries.
Sponsored by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, this year's National Heritage Festival competitions kick-started last week with a horse racing competition.
Involving several types of birds and attracting over 2,800 competitors, the bird racing commenced today with the unprecedented hoopoe-carrier pigeon competition which is very common among Gulf people.
The hoopoe-carrier pigeon race lasts 43 days with 10 rivals competing everyday except for Friday and Saturday, the head of the organizing committee Issa Mansour told KUNA.
Only four perspective winners are to advance to the final, he said, elaborating that to qualify to the next round, the rival must secure that his or her hoopoe catches a carrier pigeon.
Only one competitor has advanced to the next round during today's competitions, Al-Mansour said, expecting fierce competition among rivals due to the fact that carrier pigeons are so fast that they can fly at high speeds.
This year's edition of the National Heritage Festival will last for 70 days and will include new activities, attracting over 5,600 participants.
Source: KUNA