Hamdan Heritage Centre conducts camel marathons
Humairi wins 5th National Day Camel Marathon; the occasion was the culmination of the Arabian Camel Festival, held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan
On the same day, two camel races were organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) in cooperation with the Dubai Camel Racing Club. Held in Dubai’s Al Marmoum on Wednesday, 12th February, the first race was the 5th National Day Camel Marathon. Witnessed by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai the second race was the Camel Trek Marathon, which brought 13 trekkers together from previous editions, to celebrate UAE’S heritage.
The 5th National Day Camel Marathon was the culmination of the Arabian Camel Festival, held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan.
Covering a distance of 11 kms, this marathon saw 47 camel riders crossing the distance to reap the generous prizes.
Grabbing first place in main Camel Marathon was Suhail Rashid Obaid Al-humairi who jockeyed his camel named Mayas for a record time of 21.27 minutes, besting second placer, the renowned Yahya Al Malai Al-ketbi and his camel Ramas that finished in 21.318 minutes. Third place went to Al-ittihadi, who reached the finish line in 21.368 minutes.
Prior to the main Camel Marathon, two preliminary races were orgnised by HHC for camel riders above 30 years old. Emirati brothers Yahya Al Malai Al-ketbi and Khamis Ali Saeed Al Malai Al Ketbi dominated the preliminary races.
Abdullah Hamdan Bin Dalmook, CEO of HHC, said this year’s Camel Marathon was different from the previous years because of the preliminary races that boosted the level of competition coming into the 5th National Day Camel Marathon.
Camel riders above 30 years old got more training opportunities and became more familiar with the racetrack.
Bin Dalmook also thanked Sheikh Hamdan for his continued support to the promotion of heritage sports and added that not only the level of competition increased but the spirit of community sport was also elevated.
Rashid bin Markhan, HHC deputy CEO, added: “The prizes given to winners this year also increased and particpants to the 30th place will gain prize money.”
Ali Saeed Bin Saroud, Executive Director of the Dubai Camel Racing Club, for his part, thanked the HHC for the great cooperation in achieving the goals of the race and in gathering young people in boosting their knowledge on heritage sport.
Meanwhile, expatriates also had their own camel race. Participants of recent Camel Trek editions–representing various countries such as China, Japan, Britain, Romania, Finland, United States of America, Germany, Armenia and UAE showcased their experience in racing camels.
Attended by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, this second camel race ran for 1 Km.
Alexis from China finished in first place, followed closely by Japanese-french expat Anna Aiko in second place while Rabab Elguwiri from Finland came in third position. British expats Jodi Mercati and Shirley Wilkinson finished in fourth and fifth places respectively.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured the 13 contestants with shields bearing the Center’s logo and in-kind prizes.
The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center is the foremost resource and the most credible reference on the conservation and propagation of national heritage in the United Arab Emirates. Its vision focuses on deepening the sense of national identity among the younger generation of Emiratis and promoting Emirati culture, values and traditions at both a regional and international level.
The Center organizes events and competitions, conducts heritage studies and specialized research on the preservation and documentation of the UAE’S national heritage, and provides heritage sources and references for researchers and members of the public who are interested in heritage studies.
The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center also serves as a platform for all cultural and heritage initiatives, tournaments and activities as conceptualised by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.