Istanbul: The Al-Gannas Qatari Society (QGS) is actively participating in the 7th Ethnosport Culture Festival, which is underway in Istanbul, Turkiye, from May 22 to 25.
According to Qatar News Agency, the event, organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation, brings together traditional sports and cultural practices from around the world.
Chairman of the QGS’s Board of Directors and member of the World Ethnosport Confederation’s Board, Ali bin Khatem Al Mahshadi, is leading the Qatari delegation. QGS has set up a booth featuring a traditional Bedouin tent, ‘Bayt Al Sha’ar’, attracting significant attention from officials, dignitaries, and visitors interested in the shared falconry heritage. The booth also includes an exhibition of photographs documenting QGS’s events and festivals, as highlighted by Al Mahshadi.
Al Mahshadi noted that the QGS delegation engaged in numerous meetings with delegations from other participating countries, emphasizing the society’s experience and its advanced regulations in tournaments like the Qatar International Falcons and Hunting Festival (Marmi). He also discussed QGS’s cultural efforts in preserving the falconry legacy and its focus on youth through events like the Promising Falconer Championships and Marmi.
Vice President of QGS, Mohammed bin Abdul Latif Al Misnad, stated that their participation aims to foster people-to-people connections, particularly between the Qatari and Turkish peoples and Central Asia. Al Misnad highlighted the positive reception of QGS’s projects, including the Falcon Medicine and Veterinary Conference, the Qatar Falcon Genome Project, and initiatives to reintegrate falcons into nature.
The opening ceremony was attended by Bilal Erdogan, President of the World Ethnosport Confederation, along with senior Turkish officials and delegations from 35 countries. The festival features a variety of activities such as traditional sports, games, handicrafts, culinary arts, and performing arts.
On its first day, the festival included events commemorating the children of Gaza who lost their lives due to the Israeli conflict, with a special tent dedicated to highlighting the Palestinian people’s struggles and the tragedy faced by the children of Gaza.