THOOTHUKUDI: For Y Sayed Ahmed Ibrahim, a gold jewellery shop owner from Suba Nagar in Kovilpatti, racing pigeons is more than a hobby built over years of patience.

The 44-year-old, who has been raising nearly 150 pigeons since 2019, saw one of his birds, Yusuf, complete a 1,968-km journey from Lucknow to Kovilpatti in 31 days to secure first place in a race organised by the Thisayanvilai Royal Racing Pigeon Club.

Ibrahim had earlier found success in 2019, when his pigeons won 500 km, 750 km and 1,000 km races conducted by the South India Race Pigeon Society in Andhra Pradesh, earning him a car as a prize.

The latest race saw participation from 17 pigeons representing districts including Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Madurai, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar.