PETALING JAYA: The lure of a RM1mil prize drew some 10,000 anglers to Kedah, turning a routine fishing contest into a high-stakes race for the biggest catfish.
The grand prize went to Muhammad Khalish from Terengganu, while the second-prize winner, identified only as Vitt, received RM100,000.
Norizam Masnan, the third-prize winner from Selangor, took home RM50,000.
Muhammad had a long tug-of-war with his catch, not realising that the battle of brute strength would land him a 9.5kg fish the biggest among the participants.
Organiser Shamsul Haris said the event, which took place on Sunday, drew participants from as far as Sabah and Sarawak, with some crossing over from Thailand due to the venue’s proximity to the border.
“We’ve been organising this competition for three years, and the prize pool has grown in line with the number of participants,” he said.
He added that this year’s participation fee was RM220 per person, compared to RM150 in previous editions.
The Titi Mega pond fishing competition in Alor Setar has steadily increased in scale and prize money.
In its first year, the total prize pool was below RM100,000, rising to RM100,000 in the second year and RM500,000 in January.
“For this month, the grand prize reached RM1mil,” he said.
Participants were given four hours to land their heaviest catch during the event held at a 20-acre (8.1ha) site that houses some 20 ponds.
Shamsul added that while the May competition offers a RM500,000 pool, the RM1mil grand prize is set to return in June.
