Doha, April 10 (QNA) - The Thanaya races kicked off today on the 10th day of the Annual Purebred Arabian Camel Racing Festival for the Sword of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for the 2024–2025 season. The festival is organized by the Camel Racing Committee at Al Sheehaniya Track and will run until Apr. 15, with broad participation from various tracks across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Today's competitions were intense and thrilling, featuring 38 Thanaya races (general category) over a distance of 8 kilometers: 22 races in the morning session (12 for Bakars and 10 for Qa’dan), and 16 races in the evening session (9 for Bakars and 7 for Qa’dan), including six silver trophies.

In the morning session, Al Wasila, owned by Salem Ahmed Mohammed Al Falahi, won the main Thanaya Bakar Production race, completing the 8 km distance in 12:18:88 minutes, earning first place and a cash prize of QR 150,000. Samha, owned by Salim Abdullah Al Afari, came in second with a time of 12:19:41, winning QR 25,000, and Al Reem, owned by Hamad Hadi Al Shamsi, secured third place with a time of 12:23:76, earning QR 20,000.

In the main Thanaya Qa’dan Production race, Abab, owned by Suhail Salem Al Amri, clinched the title with a time of 12:34:92 minutes, winning 120,000 riyals. He was followed by Mashkoor, owned by Muslim Salem Al Amri, who came in second with a time of 12:36:09, earning QR25,000, while Mufrih, owned by Faran Atiq Al Marri, took third with 12:36:20, securing QR 20,000 riyals.

In the Qatar Production category, Salam, owned by Abdullah Nasser Al Marri, won the main Thanaya Bakar Production (Qatar) race with a time of 12:32:17, earning her owner QR 150,000. Meanwhile, Marfooq, owned by Mohammed Nasser Al Qahtani, won the Thanaya Qa’dan Production (Qatar) race with a time of 12:39:08, claiming QR 120,000.

Syoof, owned by Obaid Suhail Al Amri, recorded the best morning time over 8 kilometers, winning the second Thanaya Bakar Production race with a time of 12:16:16.

The evening session featured the awarding of six silver symbols to first-place winners in the first six races: three silver shalfa (daggers) for the Bakar races and three silver khanjar (traditional daggers) for the Qa’dan races. (QNA) In the main open Thanaya Bakar race, Shanah, owned by Nasser Abdullah Al Misnad, won the silver shalfa and a cash prize of QR 1.5 million, finishing in 12:07:94. Zuhal, owned by Mohammed Ali Al Afari, came second with 12:08:79, earning QR 800,000 riyals, while Hedou, owned by Saeed Jaber Al Harbi, came third with 12:09:85, securing QR 400,000 riyals for her owner. (QNA)