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Heritage contest at Dubai's Global Village features Youlah, horse riding, shooting

Dubai - 21st Fazza Championship for Youlah kicks off

Published: Sat 5 Dec 2020, 4:34 PM

Updated: Sat 5 Dec 2020, 4:44 PM

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Maktoum Al Shamsi, 14, is the youngest participant in the contest.

Maktoum Al Shamsi, 14, is the youngest participant in the contest.

Saktoun rifle shooting is one of the challenges in the contest.

Saktoun rifle shooting is one of the challenges in the contest.

The 21st Fazza Championship for Youlah that kicked off at the Global Village on Friday is much more than the traditional rifle throwing performance. It has participants competing in other heritage contests like horse and camel riding, shooting and traditional poetry.

A total of 16 qualifiers from various parts of the UAE and other Arab countries are competing in the elimination round, with the first four Yuweels (Youlah performers) competing in the first episode on Friday.

Youlah is a heritage sport that involves spinning and throwing a replica rifle made of wood and metal plating. It is an integral part of the Emirati culture with its origins in the army as a celebratory jig that was done with real weapons in the past.

Participants called ‘Yuweel’ fling the rifle as high as possible before catching it. They are judged based on their footwork and overall fluidity of performance.

Grand knight

The winner will be hailed as the ‘Meydan Grand Knight’. This year, the participants have to undergo five challenges, including youlah, horse and camel riding, Saktoun rifle shooting, and traditional poetry.

The literary and cultural competition is weighted 10 per cent; Saktoun rifle shooting is 20 per cent; horse and camel riding get 20 per cent each; and Youlah performance is 30 per cent.

Aside from judges giving their scores, there will also be public voting after each episode that is broadcast every Friday night on Sama TV Dubai and Al Oula Radio.

14-year-old participant

In the first episode, the competitors were Maktoum Al Shamsi, Hamdan Farhan Al Ahbabi, Humaid Sultan Al Rezzi and Rashid Bin Harmash Al Mansouri.

Al Shamsi, who just turned 14, is the youngest participant this season. He said he it was a “dream come true” to qualify for the Youlah championship.

The next round will be held on Friday, December 11.



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