Manukyan Won CSWC Qatar

Close finishes seem to be the name of the slow smoking game in Qatar. In 2022 Ayman El Hahdi won by one minute and four seconds, with Fahad Al Mohanna in second place. The year after David De La Garza finished just 21 seconds ahead of Abdulrahman Al Sayed, and when the Qatari Cigar Smoking World Championship qualifier was the only one in the Middle East not to be canceled last year, Tim Rodgers beat Aram Manukyan by a mere 45 seconds.

In other words, chances were that the 2025 qualifier would be a close race as well, and it was almost like the participants felt the responsibility to put on a show.

The event was organized by Felipe Rojas Bruna, owner of The Humidor Company and official Oliva Cigars importer in Qatar, and it was held in the prestigious cigar lounge of the St. Regis Doha on Pearl Island. The event brought together a powerful mix of past champions, eager newcomers and international CSWC figures, as last year’s runner-up Manukyan got his revenge and ended up on the right side of the photo finish. The winning time of 1 hour 58 minutes and 20 seconds was half an hour longer than last year.

“Qatar’s national qualifier definitely delivered one of the year’s most elegant and closely contested events of the season,” CSWC founder Marko Bilić says. “Manukyan claimed victory, but only by a razor-thin margin of 27 seconds over standout newcomer Alejandro Caruso. His debut performance stunned many in the field.”

Third place went to former champion Al Mahdi, who finished six minutes behind the new champion.

“The level of competition in Qatar continues to rise each year,” Bilić says. “It is wonderful to see past champions returning, and new talents pushing them to the very edge. That’s exactly what the spirit of CSWC by Oliva Cigars is all about.”

1. Aran Manukyan 1:58:20
2. Alejandro Caruso 1:57:53
3. Ayman Al Mahdi 1:52:40