While the soccer powers of the world compete in the vast stadiums of the capital Doha in Qatar, a few kilometers outside the glittering capital, in the town of Al Mazain, a sandy and desert courtyard hosts an equally glittering competition in which the participants are not famous sports stars, but they can certainly kick.
This year, the fifth year of its existence, Qatar's annual camel beauty pageant has received unusual attention from the World Cup events taking place nearby, and its stars, about 50 camels from across the Gulf state, stand at the heart of a media frenzy with dozens of clever articles and allegories for the World Cup games, such as in this article.
Despite the slightly bizarre name, beauty contests for camels are not uncommon in the Gulf countries and the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula are used to seeing the towering, humped creatures as a symbol of beauty, prestige and local identity.
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman all hold races and beauty contests for different breeds of camels.
Spectators watch a camel beauty contest in Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar 📸 @reuterspictures pic.twitter.com/0wQ3WCyQBm
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 30, 2022
"The idea is similar to the World Cup in soccer, we made a World Cup for the beauty of camels. We have participants from all over the cooperation countries of the Persian Gulf and there are some big names in the field here, with today being the fifth day of the tournament," says Hamed Jaber Al-Atba, club president The camels of Qatar.
"The criteria for measuring the beauty of a camel vary from one group of camels to another. For example, in the case of black camels, the judges are looking for impressive body dimensions and a head of a certain structure, also, the position of the ears is also considered," Al-Atba says.
The naka, the winner of the Qatar camel beauty contest,
Al-Atba explains that for the Majathir breed, the judges also look at the character of the individual animal but also look for the drooping ears that characterize the breed.
For the Asal breed, for example, the judges look for a certain mouth structure typical of the breed and high fur density.
The winners receive a decorative medal and a cash prize that should cover the cost of participating in the competition.
Who knew being a camel could be so complex.
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