Kota Kinabalu: More than 250 anglers are participating in the Sabah Anglers Association's (SAA) annual Sabah International Fishing Tournament (SIFT) 2016 to be held at the Layang Layang reef in the Spratlys.According to SAA President Datuk Wilfred Lingham the number represents a record achievement for the event in its 20 year history."The participants comprise 158 Malaysians and 103 foreign participants the majority of whom are from China with 60 participants, 22 from Brunei and the remainder from various other countries such as Dubai, Vietnam, Singapore, and Australia."
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He said the competition this year will also see 15 boats being utilised for the tournament held over 6 days and 5 nights, from April 19 to April 24. The participants are required to be back at the marina before 1pm on April 24.He said this to reporters at the Sutera Harbour Marina and Country Club on Tuesday before he and Sutera Harbour Marina and Country Club Manager Rick Blackie flagged off the SIFT 2016 participants from the marina.
According to Lingham, the event this year will also be more transparent as it was an individual and no longer a team championship event."The rationale behind this is that since everyone is vying for the prizes they will not tolerate any hanky-panky business by his neighbour," he said.
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The format for SIFT 2016 will remain the same where the six heaviest fishes will win prizes in cash and kind.He said the angler with the heaviest fish will win RM25,000 cash while the anglers in second and third place will bring home RM10,000 cash and RM5,000 cash respectively.
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"Anglers in fourth to sixth places will be awarded RM500 cash each and all winners will also receive certificates and prizes in kind.He added that all the winning fishes will also be auctioned off to the public and the proceeds will be donated to the Single Mothers Association by SAA."
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The judging will commence at 1pm and the prize presentation and closing ceremony is scheduled to be held at the same venue from 3pm onwards.Lingham said for next year's event the date being proposed is on April 24-30 and the targeted number of participants next year is 200 with anglers from China being the focus. The major sponsor for this year's event is Pure Fishing.
