16 make it through to Baloot Championship finals in Riyadh

Women play a popular card game "Baloot" against men, as Saudi women join a local Baloot tournament for the first time, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

• Baloot is a popular game in Saudi Arabia
• The contestants are set to play the final rounds next week

RIYADH: Sixteen contestants out of 16,000 have qualified for the finals of the Baloot Championship in Riyadh.

The contestants, who make up eight teams, are set to play the final rounds next week at the championship headquarters at Riyadh Front. 

The championship, held for the third time in the Kingdom, is organized by the Saudi Arabian Federation of Electronic and Intellectual Sports (SAFEIS) and supervised by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA).

Baloot is a popular game in Saudi Arabia and is believed to have originated in France. The game is played with four players divided into two teams. 
The contestants in the championship are competing for prizes worth a total of more than SAR2 million ($533,000). 
Some 256 contestants have competed in several rounds, with each containing three matches.