Fazza falcons to be unleashed

The first event on the calender of this season of the Fazza Championship for Falconry, that is being hosted by Dubai, called First Telwah starts tomorrow.
Organised and supervised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centre, the 20-day-long event will be held in Meydan, Ruwayyah (formerly Dubai Bypass Road), Exit Number 55 till January 15.
The championship categories include Airplane — 2 km, Falconry – Telwah in all categories for Shaikhs and general public, juniors, GCC in the categories of Horr and Shaheen, and Airplane RC.
Souad Ibrahim Darwish, Director of Championships at the Center, said: "The Fazza Championship for Falconry - the First Telwah, is expected to attract immense number or participants and will witness fierce competition in all categories. The championship is a reflection of the UAE's heritage, and this season, we have adopted a number of state-of-the-art technologies such as the smartphone application (HHC F3) and the ring that has a smart chip on the falcon's leg, to further enhance the overall experience for participants and spectators.”
The high participant turnout is also leading to a pronounced boom in bird markets in the region, where lovers of this heritage sport seek to buy falcons and birds used as trained birds of prey.
Amid an atmosphere of great enthusiasm and excitement, the falconers carry their birds to the starting point, untie the bird and unleash it to fly towards the prey sound at the finish line, while the speed of the falcon along the 400-metre racetrack is monitored. Speed sensors have been installed on the racetrack to record the speed of the bird, as well as an e-gate with laser technology developed specifically for the Fazza Championship for Falconry.
Source: Khaleej Times