The Peninsula
More than 100 riders will feature at the three-day Amir Sword Festival to be held at the outdoor arena of the Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF), this was announced by the organisers yesterday.
The winner of the Amir Sword will also get a brand new car, Ali bin Yusuf Al Rumaihi, Secretary-General of QEF, said yesterday. The top three riders in the Feb 18-20 competition will be honoured at the Qatar and Equestrian Racing Club (QREC), Al Rumaihi added.
“More than 100 riders will feature in various competitions. The riders and equestrian enthusiasts are waiting for this great annual event. Our preparations for all competitions are complete,” Al Rumaihi said.
“We expect a stiff competition among the young riders as this is the Amir’s Sword Festival week,” he said.
Al Rumaihi said the three-day event will be held in accordance with the rules and regulations of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).
“The value of the prizes increases based on the ranking of a tournament. The Amir Sword Festival is a premier event on our calendar and therefore, the prizes on offer are also high,” Al Rumaihi said.
He also said the championship will be held amidst strict COVID-19 procedures as only 10 percent of fan attendance will be allowed at the event venue.
Regarding QEF’s preparations for the event, Al Rumaihi said: “The preparations began a long time ago with the launch of the new season.”
Vodafone Qatar in the main sponsor of the event, also supported by Baladna Food Industries, Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros, and Al Emadi Enterprises.
Al Rumaihi said that the tournament competitions will be held on Friday and Saturday with the participation of 100 riders. He said Thursday will be reserved for vet check.
Al Rumaihi, on behalf of QEF President, Hamad bin Abdul Rahman Al Attiyah, yesterday thanked Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros for backing ‘one of the most important equestrian events in the season’.
Al Rumaihi signed the sponsorship contract with Ahmed Abu Saad, the principal director of Lexus sales at Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros.
“We thank Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros for their generous sponsorship of the main event on our riding calendar - the Amir’s Sword Festival. We look forward to cooperation in the future also,” Al Rumaihi said.
“Without their support, it would not have been possible to raise the standard of the championship to where it is today,” he added.
Al Rumaihi also thanked Mohammad Al Emadi, CEO of Al Emadi Enterprises, and said: “Al Emadi Enterprises has been supporting the Amir Sword Festival for many years. We would like to thank Mr Mohamed Al Emadi for their support. They have been associated with us in the past also and we value their sponsorship.”
“We are proud to be part of this mega event at QEF. We feel it is our duty to support such sports events in Qatar. We, at Al Emadi, are feeling happy to be associated with this key event on the show jumping calendar. We hope the riders excel on the field of play and that we get to see some memorable performances later this week,” Al Emadi said.
“We are one of the few companies that are linked with all major sports events held in Qatar.”
Abdullah bin Ali Al Misnad, Director of Business Development Department at Vodafone Qatar, said: “Backing major sporting events like the Amir Sword Festival is of great interest to everyone. We, at Vodafone Qatar, have always been interested in supporting sports events held in the country, both in terms of partnership and sponsorship. We have also supported activities on the Qatar National Sport Day. We are very happy with the partnership that we established with the Qatar
Equestrian Federation. Our role is to support the State of Qatar in its pioneering march in organising and hosting local and international sporting events. We look forward to starting this partnership as the official sponsor of the Amir Sword Festival this week and we wish all success to the organizers and participants in this tournament.”