The competition was extremely keen and the judges took almost 3 hours deliberating. The huge crowd had to be kept waiting along the corridors. It was heartening to see many families turn up and show their support. When the doors finally opened, the huge hall with air-conditioners and fans blowing at full speed ensured that all were comfortable. Unfortunately, not everyone could win the beautiful trophies but at least everyone could say they had attended a historic event. It was the first time so many beautiful Ranchus had ever assembled in one place in Singapore and it certainly begged to be repeated.
A Q & A session saw the judges and Mr Sura L Mongkol from Thailand answering all the questions posed by the crowd. The questions came fast and furious and the answers were just as forthcoming. Everyone had their chance to clear their doubts and the panel certainly did not disappoint with their clear and coherent replies.
Towards the end of last year, a group of Ranchu enthusiasts decided to come together to set up a Ranchu club with the explicit aim of promoting this hobby in an organized manner. They wanted to share their love of this delightful goldfish with all who were keen to learn. Many meetings were held and all of them had a dream – to organize a Ranchu competition in which the public could participate in.
On 27 th February 2005, the dream became a reality. The 1 st National Ranchu Competition finally happened! It was held at the YuHua Community Club and the event was a resounding success. There were almost 200 entries and the participants included not only local enthusiasts but also a strong contingent from Thailand who were here to show their support (or was it to win the prizes?). The judges were all prominent persons in the Ranchu community and they added weight to the event. Mr Alvin Lim judged both the topview and sideview categories, Mr Boy (CS Thai Farm, Thailand ) judged the sideview Ranchu and the legendary Mr AoKoban from Thailand assessed the topviews.
