- Title: Read the face, find the ring, Iraqis play Mheibes again this Ramadan
- Date: 6th May 2021
- Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (MAY 5, 2021) (REUTERS) MHEIBES PLAYER WALKING FROM ONE PLAYER TO NEXT WITH BLANKET WRAPPED AROUND HIM TO HIDE 'MHEIBES' (IRAQI ARABIC FOR RING) IN ONE OF PLAYER'S FISTS PLAYERS REMOVING BLANKET WHILE OTHERS ARE SEATED IN ROWS IN PLAYING POSITION MAN WITH POKER FACE / CLOSED FISTS OPPOSITE TEAM'S CAPTAIN INSPECTING PLAYERS FISTS FROM AFAR OPPOSITE TEAM'S CAPTAIN RULING OUT SOME OF PLAYERS PLAYER WITH POKER FACE / FISTS OTHER TEAM MEMBER GIVING INSTRUCTIONS OPPOSITE TEAM'S CAPTAIN MAKING MISTAKE AND FINDING RING IN HAND HE SAID WOULD BE EMPTY / TEAM MEMBERS CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHAIRMAN OF REFEREES COMMITTEE, WALID AL-SAMARRAI, SAYING: "The game of 'Mheibes' (ring in Iraqi Arabic), and this is the ring, they hide it... there are several people from one team sitting (on the ground) and they hide the ring (in one player's hand). Then the captain comes and starts to check them out. He inspects them one by one and he tries to find the ring in one hand. And then it is played again and the competition continues. What is important is that the captain is smart and has courage because not everyone will be able to find the ring." VARIOUS OF CAPTAIN OF AL-SHAELI TEAM, KARIM AL-KHATTAT, INSPECTING OTHER TEAM MEMBER'S FIST FROM AFAR MAN WITH POKER FACE / CLOSED FISTS VARIOUS OF KHATTAT, INSPECTING OTHER TEAM MEMBER'S FIST FROM AFAR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CAPTAIN OF AL-SHAELI TEAM, KARIM AL-KHATTAT, SAYING: "Every player has their specific ways to get the ring. As far as I am concerned, I look at the other players' faces. You observe their feelings, appearance, personality, through their face or behaviour. I remember them for the next stages, and if there is a change (in their behaviour), I will feel it. It is about the strength of the player who hides the ring and the strength of the player who looks for it." MHEIBES GAME IN PROGRESS MEN SEATED WHILE PLAYING KHATTAT ASKING MEN TO LOOK AT HIM AND SHOW THEIR FISTS CLOSED FISTS KHATTAT FINDING RING AND PEOPLE SHOUTING MEN CONGRATULATING KHATTAT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CAPTAIN OF AL-SHAELI TEAM, KARIM AL-KHATTAT, SAYING: "The first one in the row didn't have it but he pretends that he is shaking. That he is scared. And the other one who has the ring, where was he? I said he is among those who are relaxed so I picked the one who seemed relaxed." JURY SEATED ON TABLE WITH TEAM SEATED ON GROUND IN FRONT OF THEM VARIOUS OF JURY MAN WRITING DOWN POINT FOR SHAELI TEAM (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHAIRMAN OF REFEREES COMMITTEE, WALID AL-SAMARRAI, SAYING: "In official competitions, there are 150 (team members). But this competition, we reduced (teams) based on the instructions from (the coronavirus) crisis cell so we reduced the number (of players) and of the audience. From 150 (team members), we reduced the number to 40." AUDIENCE SPARSELY SEATED IN STADIUM VARIOUS OF ICE CREAM SELLER, ABU YOUNES, SINGING TO AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VARIOUS OF ICE CREAM SELLER, ABU YOUNES, SAYING: "Now the situation is different, it was nicer before. Before it would be held in popular coffee shops and it would be something traditional, with baklava and sweets and with songs. And I am among those who would sing traditional songs. So that when someone finds the ring, there is a good atmosphere." VARIOUS OF GAME IN PROGRESS SEEN FROM AFAR
- Embargoed: 20th May 2021 15:03
- Keywords: Baghdad Coronavirus Iraq Mheibes Ramadan Ring Teams
- Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- City: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Topics: Living/Lifestyle,Middle East,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001EBTQR11
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Carefully decrypting the impassable facial expressions of the about 40 men seated in front of him, Mheibes expert and captain of the Shaeli team, Karim al-Khattat finally finds the ring hidden in the fists of one of the men.
"Every player has his specific ways to get the ring. As far as I am concerned, I look at the other players' faces", he told Reuters after winning one more round in this year's official Mheibes competition in Baghdad's Al-Shaab Stadium.
Believed to date back to the Abbasid era, the game of Mheibes, which means ring in Iraqi Arabic, is still a popular game during Ramadan throughout the country.
In 2020, the official competition did not take place due to the spread of the coronavirus, but this year was allowed to go ahead with a very limited audience and teams reduced from 100 or 150 players to only 40.
The game, which involves two teams who play in turns, starts with one of the team's members sitting down in rows while the ring is hidden in the fist of one of them.
Then, players, all without face masks, sit still while the captain tries to find out where the ring is hidden.
He can ask players to reveal the content of their fists when he believes they are empty, but he gets only one chance to select the player he believes holds the precious object.
Played throughout Ramadan, and sometimes until dawn, the Mheibes competition used to attract a large audience.
(Production: Charlotte Bruneau, Maher Nazeh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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