A former Czech karate player and coach at the Saudi Karate Federation acquired a new hobby, falconry, started a falcon farm, and became a participant in this year's International Falcon Breeders Auction. The auction, organized by the Saudi Falcons Club and held at the club headquarters in Malham, north of Riyadh, until August 24, brings together leading falcon breeders from 16 countries. Czech Ilian Kirov, the owner of BG Falcons, expressed pleasure at participating in the auction. As a karate coach since 2002, when he worked for the Saudi Karate Federation, he became interested in falcons and fell in love with them, so in addition to training karate, he started to breed falcons. Finding a link between falconry and karate, he said: "I think that the strongest link between the two hobbies is the supernatural speed that a karate player must have, which is one of the most prominent qualities of a falcon, in addition to the ferocity that a karate player may sometimes display to win, which we find in the fal con when it wants to obtain food." He praised the outstanding efforts and excellent facilities provided by the organizers at the Saudi Falcons Club. "The market is wonderful, and the organization is excellent. I participated with 32 falcons, and I have sold 12 so far. Falcon enthusiasts still flock daily to the auction to buy and see the latest breeding methods," he said. The International Falcon Breeders Auction, which is held for 20 days, brings together elite falcon breeds from all over the world in an event that is the largest of its kind. It has become an international platform where falconers and falcon breeders meet annually. It is the result of the Saudi Falcons Club endeavor to preserve the ancient tradition of falconry, to strengthen the Kingdom's position as a global destination for falconers. Source: Saudi Press Agency