The second round of Fazza Championship for Youllah witnessed strong competition last Friday between the four contestants who put on a dazzling performance that thrilled audiences at Al Meydan - Global Village. The Championship, organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center, was broadcast live on Sama Dubai TV.
Ahead of the start of the second round, the winners of the Championship's first round were announced. Abdullah bin Saadeen Al Shehi came first with 5,092 votes, with Ahmed bin Abdullah Alharsousi claiming second spot with 3,111 votes. Ahmed bin Smeet finished third with 2,059 votes, while the fourth place went to Saeed Zayed Alkhasouni.
Abdullah bin Saadeen Al Shehi said: "This is my second time participating in the Championship and I am very proud that I managed to qualify in the first qualifying round of such a prestigious tournament. I love Youllah and have been practicing it since I was ten years old. I learned Youllah from my father and my elder brother, and I often perform it alongside my friends at weddings and on special occasions. I want to extend my thanks to the jury for their helpful directions and advice which I'm sure will help enhance my skills and allow me to learn from my mistakes." The second round started with a solid performance by Mohammad Rashid bin Zayed from Umm Al Qaiwain. Although all his attempts to ring the bell proved unsuccessful, the jury was full of praise for his performance, especially given that he was participating in this competition for the first time.
The next participant was Mohammed Abdullah bin Hamdan from Dubai, who was taking part in the Championship for the second time. Mohammed put on a splendid show as he succeeded in ringing the bell on two of his attempts, the only downside to his performance being that he dropped the turban the first time and dropped his weapon on the other two occasions resulting in the loss of points as per the Youllah rules.
Saaed Hasan Noeh Alameri from KSA offered a strong showing that was hailed by the jury as well as the audience. Saaed succeeded in ringing the bell twice, and while he lost points on the first occasion, he comfortably rang the bell without losing any point in both his following attempts.
The fourth and final participant of the day was Ibrahim Alshehi from Abu Dhabi who, however, remained unsuccessful in his bid to ring the bell as he dropped his turban and weapon on all three attempts.
Finally, as the jury announced the results, Mohammad bin Hamdan led all participants with 48 points, while Saaed Hasan Noeh Alameri and Ibrahim Alshehi each secured 47 points, followed by Mohammed Rashid bin Zayed at 46 points.
As part of the day's celebrations, renowned singer Mohammed Alminhali sang the popular songs "Taraf" and "Talbet Al Ghali". "I'm very keen to participate every year with my songs in this important Championship that celebrates the Emirati heritage; this year marks my seventh participation in a row. The Championship has evolved fabulously over the years, especially in terms of its organisation and management as well as the quality of performance of the participants," Alminhali said.
He added: "I want to thank H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council for his special efforts in reviving the Emirati heritage and enhancing the national identity among the youth. I also thank Abdullah bin Hamdan bin Dalmouk - CEO of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center, for organising such a world-class event." Also regaling the audiences at Al Meydan – Global Village was well-known poet Mosbeh Ali Alkaabi who recited two poems at the event.
Source: WAM