Omar Al-Mannai, Commercial Director of Al Shaqab and Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Longines Hathab Tours, confirmed after the end of the season that this exceptional season started last September because the season included the organization of the Qatar World Cup 2022, which necessitated a halt to competitions during the organization of the World Cup. He added: We were keen to divide the fourteen rounds throughout the season in a way that would be comfortable for the riders and horses, especially since the season was stressful and that there would be enough time between each round and the other. And he continued: I think in light of the levels and results that everyone saw in the last round, the horses were preserved, and this is one of the goals that were set for the riders to learn how to maintain the horse and how to not exhaust the horse in the first rounds. Regarding the increase in the number of riders during the season and the addition of new categories during the competitions, the deputy head of the organizing committee said: The continuity of the seasons and the continuous development from one season to the next gives an incentive for young riders to enter the sport and the laws that were put in place were in order to ensure that there would be a stable sports season and now we have reached the season The sixth in a row, and this season has become attractive to all riders and their parents, and this is what we were striving for, and now we are reaping the fruits of the work that we have done, and we will not stop there. Every year, the number of participating riders is increasing, and the beautiful thing is that the number of Qataris is very large, because this sport is one of our heritage and our habit. He encourages his children to practice this sport. Omar Al-Mannai added, “We are always working on evaluating matters and constantly improving competitions in order to make the championship attractive to riders and continuous development from year to year.” On the extent of the impact of the pause during the World Cup competitions on the Longines Tours, Hathab said: The matter had several repercussions, including negative and positive ones, especially since the matter is related to the state of compatibility between the rider and the horse. But there are some knights, the beginning of the season for them is a period of rehabilitation and preparation for the rest of the season, which makes the pause period a positive thing for them in order to review their accounts, as the matter differs from one knight to another, and in general the pause period is necessary, as we usually have a pause for a period of three weeks. Al-Mannai added, saying: The organizing committee is working to have more supportive companies, there is communication with new companies, and there is a renewal of dealing with the companies present with us, and we hope that we will succeed in our efforts. At the end of his speech, Omar Al-Mannai revealed that the next season will start next October, and there will be some organizational amendments related to the participation of the knights, and they will be announced in due course.
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