Traditional Sports of the UAE

Almost all countries in the world has some sports that are related to its culture and with time these sports turn into a tradition of the locals that they adore and feel allegiance to. They feel ownership in these games and some sports in the world are like a trademark for countries and those countries are known for them. For example when one names Olympics, the first thing that comes to mind is Greece while when Baseball is heard of, the name that flashes to mind immediately is of United States of America. Same is the case with Falconry and Camel Racing in the United Arab Emirates.

Falconry is an old art that is now used mainly for sports purposes but in the ancient era, it was one of the ways that were used for hunting. Although, even today as a sport it is used for the sake of hunting but in those times, it was no sports and was used only for the sake of hunting hares and houbara. It was a need then and an enjoyment now, that is why the government has imposed some restrictions on the game and hunting more than a limit is now prohibited because over-hunting can prove fatal for the species being hunted. Unfortunately, falcons are in a danger of extinction as their breed is being hunted a lot but the government is trying its best with the assistance of UNESCO to protect this rare species.

Another such sport is the camel racing which is renowned all over the world and is one of those sports that Dubai is known for. The camel race is widely followed by the Dubai locals and it is an exciting site to watch the camels racing amidst all that hue and cry that the spectators make. These sounds make the camel scared and it runs even faster. Previously kids were used for this purpose that would be boarded on the camel for the race, but this was declared illegal by the government and now only robots can be used for this purpose as a number of people riding the camels in these races lost their lives. The camels of Omani Sudania breeds normally take part in the race and they are prepared by their owners in a way that they are perfect for the race.

Sports are an integral part of human life and any sports that elevates to a level of a tradition for any country must be preserved. Falconry and camel racing are two such sports for Dubai and it is the need of the hour that these sports are preserved by the government and the locals and it is also important at the same time to save the lives of the animals and humans that lose it in these games.