Malaysia – Kuala-Lumpur, 20-23 November 2008

The very active Discus Society of Malaysia invited again International Judges for the 2nd  Aqua Fair 2008 Discus Championships, from Taiwan (1), Singapore (1), Germany (1) and from Italy three including Heiko Bleher for the second time. The categories were divided in 11 discus groups to be judged:
1. Solid Blue/Green
2. Solid Red/Brown
3. Turquoise Pattern/Stripe
4. Pigeon Pattern/Stripe
5. Red Spotted
6. Red Spotted Snake Skin
7. Snake Skin
8. Albino Pattern/Stripe/Spotted
9. Albino Solid Colour
10. Open – Pattern/Stripe/Spotted
11. Open – Solid Colour
There were fantastic fishes in competition but some confusion in placement of Discus into the wrong categories. Also the Open classes, Red Spotted, as well as for Snake Skin and Solid, there for it was extreme difficult to judge correctly simply because there were Discus for one category placed in two. All of those should have been placed into one single class and not subdivided as here, also the Albino Category…

… and about 260 Discus had to be judged. Above the large, very well designed competition display. Below most of the winners, showing here all of the 1st placed in each Category, but also in some Categories up to the 5th place (the first 5 in each Category were given a trophy and/or prize money):

_{Heiko Bleher with Dr. Goh – the winner of the Grand Champion. Goh is the only (and first) one who has bred (developed) the “Ring” pattern in Red spotted discus and he continuously inbreeds with wild blood for his line breeding (something today is rarely done). Goh has bred some of the most unique and beautiful discus the world has ever seen}

_{Most of the international judges were having a hard time doing an excellent job during more than 6 hours, with the exception of one, who finished in no time…}

_{The judging sheet (left). There was also a discussions for a new international judging system of Discus (right), were all judged agreed to have a system of Categories made up by phenotype and not by genotypes in future global judging}

_{The Minister of Fisheries himself opened the Championships, here with Adam Tan, the President of the Discus Society of Malaysia, and other VIP’s}

_{Goh Eng Khoon, the fantastic breeder from Penang has taken not only the prize for the Grand Champion, but also for the Champion and the 1st Runner-up for Red Spotted, and several other trophies. The Greek Michalis Pikis was the only European to get a prize as the 2nd Runner-up in the Category Tuqouise Pattern/Stripe}

_{The chief organizer and executive officer, Jonathan Kan Thai Kim, had a hard time to give out all the prizes to each one of the winners, which were handed over by the Chief Secretary of the Department of Fisheries of Malaysia}

_{The international judges and Goh Eng Khoon with his main trophies}

_{Heiko (left) receiving a special diploma and prize for his contribution, as well as Francesco Denitto (right) and other judges as well}