(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Qatar's squad that qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games last month will feature at the Emir's Sword festival at Qatar Equestrian Federation (QEF) Outdoor Arena this week, it was announced yesterday.
Khaled Safar Al Hajri, Secretary General of QEF, yesterday said more than QR800,000 is up for grabs for those competing at the two-day festival to be held this Wednesday and Thursday.
"This is an important event on our calendar. This will be the last competition this season. This week will be different in many ways notable because Qatar's national equestrian squad that has qualified for the Rio Games will be seen in action," Al Hajri said.
Ali Yousef Al Rumaihi, Khalid Al Emadi, Bassem Hassan Mohammed and Sheikh Ali Bin Khalid Al Thani won the second leg of the Furusiyya 2015 series in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The win on February 19 helped Qatar seal a berth at next year's equestrian competition at the Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janiero.
"There's going to be intense competition because Emir Sword title is always keenly fought for by the riders," Al Hajri said.
"The major sponsor of our festival is Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros," Al Hajri said.
"Qatari riders are leading the show in the Arab world and in Asia. The sport has seen growth in many areas and obviously equestrian is becoming hugely popular," he added. "You saw show jumping competition at Al Shaqab just last week. The world's top names presented a great show over the week," Al Hajri said.
"We are pleased that Qatar's national squad will be in action this week," he said.
"Only Qatari riders will feature at the two-day event," Al Hajri said.
"Our squad is set to feature at the World Cup where Sheikh Khalid and Bassam will represent Qatar," Al Hajri said.
Two days after the Emir Sword festival, QEF will organize Armed Force Endurance Ride on March 14 at Marathon Village, Sealine.
The competitions will be staged in four categories over the 110km course.
Meanwhile, United Development Company (UDC), a leading Qatari shareholding company and master developer of the Pearl-Qatar, signed a sponsorship agreement with the QEF announcing the Company's sponsorship of the Emir Sword Show Jumping Championship 2015.
Al Hajri, Secretary General of QEC said: "H H The Emir Equestrian Sword tournament continues to grow in stature and in value benefiting from the generous support of sponsors such as UDC whose involvement helps the Qatar Equestrian Federation maintain the prestige of this wonderful celebration of the horse and equestrianism in Qatar."
Hussain Akbar Al Baker, Senior Events and Marketing Manager of UDC, said: "We at UDC look at this tournament as one of the most valuable sporting events with Qatar emerging as an exceptional sporting hub in the region and equestrian sports being part of Qatar and the Arab world's heritage. Horse racing is also more than just a competitive and popular sport; it is the true embodiment of a long tradition that brings us closer to our Qatari roots. In this sense, it is an honor to be able to contribute to the preservation of this legacy and to support professional Qatari riders in showcasing their skills and developing their immense potential in addition to rewarding their season-long efforts and achievements as they represent the State of Qatar in various sporting events, at regional and international levels."
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