Dubai: The debate teams representing the UAE won the World Champions Trophy and the Runners-Up Trophy at the Tournament of Champions at Yale University earlier this month, school officials said on Wednesday.
In the junior category, Shreyas Sharma of Grade 8 studying in GEMS Modern Academy was declared the World Champion in Individual Debate. The team, which also consisted of Varun Pabreja and Siddhaarth Chakravarthy — both also from Grade 8 of the same school — won the trophy for the second-best debating team in the world.
In the senior category, the combined teams of GEMS Modern Academy and GEMS Wellington International School, comprising Osama Gaffar, Aryan Parakh and Shruti Krishnamoorthy, won the Champions trophy — the first of its kind for the UAE, according to school officials.
Additionally, Gaffar was declared the second-best debater in the world.
The Tournament of Champions of World Scholar’s Cup, held in New Haven, Connecticut, is a competition for young debaters from around the world.
Of the 39,000 students who participated in the World Scholar’s Cup across the globe, only 2,200 participants qualified for the main event. Fifty countries across five continents were represented at the event.
Aryan Kapoor, Anay Mehta and Sameer Pujji, representing the senior team from GEMS Modern Academy, turned in accomplished performances.
Earlier this year, Sumana Chatterjee, the debate and public speaking coach from GEMS Modern Academy, had won the Coach of the Year Award at Hanoi.
