Fazza Championship for Youlah intensifies

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The final four Yuweels (Youlah performers) have been announced and the Golden Square is now complete as the competition at the Fazza Championship for Youlah has intensified, entering the semifinal round.

The annual heritage sport, which is now on its 20th year, has seen participation not just from UAE nationals but also performers from Iraq, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Libya. The Youlah is a traditional sport in which a performer (Yuweel) shows his skills of traditional dance on local beats with a toy gun in hand which he moves in a number of styles and during this, he throws his gun into air as high as he can and catches it perfectly. This act of throwing a gun into the air and catching it successfully is repeated three times and the one who throws to the maximum height and catches it perfectly scores points and receives acclamation from the judges, spectators and supporters.

Issa Mahamas Al-Ahbabi and Juma Obaid Al Ali were the last two to qualify in the semifinal rounds. Al-Ahbabi gave a strong performance and scored a perfect mark of 50 points after successfully throwing his rifle high enough to reach the required height four times while Al Ali also delighted the crowd, composed mainly of young Arabs, with his confidence in performing the drills. Former Junior champion Juma Obaid Al Ali also made it to the semifinal round.

Souad Ibrahim Darwish, HHC Director of Championships, expressed her appreciation for the levels presented by the participants, which reflected on the strong performance in the competition for the four semifinalists who made it to the Golden Square.

The first of two semifinal rounds started on Friday, Jan.31, and the public can watch it for free at the Meydan Fort located inside the Dubai Global Village. An Emirati singer and a poet showcase cultural performances at the Al Meydan stage in front of the large crowds who attend every week.