ABU DHABI // More than 700 people have signed up for the Fazza Championship for Falconry, which takes place this weekend.
Organisers of the championship, which takes place in the Seeh Al Dahl area, say they expect the number of participants to grow further.
The three day event has been divided based on competitors’ regions and falcon species — the Shaheen and the Tibah.
On Thursday, competitors from Dubai and the Northern Emirates are scheduled to compete, while GCC citizens and contestants from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia will be competing on Friday and Saturday.
Those who wish to take part can apply through the F3 Championship app or through the social media accounts of the organising body — the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC).
The centre aims to preserve the art of hunting live prey due to its cultural significance in Arab heritage, said Souad Ibrahim Darwish, the director of championships at HHC.
It was “one of the most important means of sustaining a livelihood throughout the Arabian Gulf in ancient times”.
“We have every intention of safeguarding our historical pastimes and pursuits by passing them down from generation to generation,” she added.
Indeed, there has been proactive public interaction with the championship in the past years.
“This tournament has seen a progressive increase in participation numbers and become a place of convergence for Emiratis and GCC nationals alike, especially among young people,” said Saif Belkadida, the head of the organising committee of the Fazza Championship for Falconry.
Organisers have been working hard on developing the contest over the past few years. They have been providing contestants with all the necessary requirements such as “wireless tracking devices to special falconry food and the allocation of sufficient time between the participating falconers.”
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
