Malaysia Open Koi Championship 2006

The inaugural Malaysia Open Koi Championship 2006 was held at Sentul Park Boulevard on 11th and 12th February, 2006 in conjunction with the official opening of Sentul Park Koi Center. The show was hosted by Sentul Park Koi Center, but co-organized by koi hobbyists / volunteers. (See grand opening photos here).

The center's grand opening was officiated by Malaysian Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He also honored the Koi show by giving the Prime Minister Challenge Trophy to the winner of the Grand Champion award.

Eight renowned Japanese Koi breeders came to the opening as Koi show judges, and also for seminars and Koi auction. They were Hisato Nogami (Nogami Koi Farm), Fuji Oomo (Oomo Koi Farm), Makoto Tanaka (Marusyo Koi Farm), Ryuki Narita (Narita Koi Farm), Shigeru Mano (Dainichi Koi Farm), Takayoshi Omosako (Omosako Koi Farm), Kentaro Sakai (Sakai Fish Farm), and Futoshi Maruyama (Maruyama Koi Farm). Some 40 top-grade Koi were provided by Dainichi, Oomo, Marusyo, Nogami  and Maruyama Koi famrs for a charity auction. Proceeds totaling RM80,000 from the auction were donated to Kiwanis Kidney Dialysis & Stroke Foundation. (See auction photos here)

To keep the Koi show manageable, the competing varieties were limited to Gosanke (Kohaku, Taisho Sanshoku, Showa Sanshoku & Utsurimono) and Non-Gosanke categories. Sizes for Gosanke categories were >80BU, 80 BU, 75BU and 70BU while Non-Gosanke categories were just 80BU and > 80BU. A total of 45 prizes plus 2 Challenge Trophies were given out to winners (See winner list below). The Grand Champion award went a Kohaku koi owned by Mr. Haji Haniffah (Read more here).

Prior to the grand opening, Sentul Park Koi Center oeganized a mud pond harvest tour for the 8 Japanese breeders and owners of the to-be-harvested Koi to its mud pond site at Janda Baik on 11th February.  (See Ikeage photos here).

The grand opening and the Koi show enjoyed high profile media coverage. Rinko - one of the most popular Koi magazines in Japan - sent its reporter/photographer and the magazine carried stories on Sentul Park Koi Center for 4 consecutive months (and counting!)