Sahel Basharat and Kamran Jalal of the Inter-national Indian School-Riyadh receive the top team prize.

They came, they saw and debated flawlessly and incisively, winning the hearts and minds of the audience.

It was an amazing display of oratorical skills by students from different schools affiliated with India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) at the Inter-School Senior English Debate in Jeddah on Tuesday.

During a high-octane and high-decibel three-hour session that kept the audience spellbound, the debaters spoke for and against the statement: “Obsession for an extravagant lifestyle has led to a decline in values among the youth.”

Those who spoke for the motion, such as the brilliant Sahel Basharat, the quick-witted Anubhav Sharma and the energetic Marlyn George, seemed perfectly justified. Those who spoke against the motion, including the boisterous Jeffrey Thaj, the pleasant Mohammed Aazim Khan and the good-looking Kamran Jalal, were equally convincing with their arguments.

Both sides came up with excellent examples to drive home their points. The rebuttal session came alive with some quick repartee, amazing presence of mind and sharp exchanges. In the end, it was so entertaining that no one cared which side won.

Well-known educationist Rubab Azad, who was one of the three judges, admitted at the end that the high point of the debate was the fact that “we all agreed with the arguments presented by students on both sides of the divide.”

Marlyn George and Jeffrey Thaj of Inter-national Indian School-Jeddah with the first runner-up trophy.

“Everyone was the winner today,” said the affable International Indian School-Riyadh (IISR) Principal Dr. S.M. Shaukat Perwez. “They weaved magic with their words and treated us with sumptuous food for thought.”

“Congratulations,” said International Indian School-Jeddah (IISJ) Principal Syed Masood Ahmed, as he announced the names of the winners to rapturous applause from the audience, which included principals of more than 30 CBSE-affiliated schools in the Kingdom. “You all deserve the best in life and in your future endeavors.”

The IISR won the top prize, followed by the IISJ and International Indian School-Dammam (IISD). In the “For” category, the top speaker was Sahel Basharat of IISR, with Anubhav Sharma of IISD second and Marlyn George of IISJ third. In the “Against” category, the top speaker was Jeffrey Thaj of IISJ, followed by Aazim Khan of International Indian School-Jubail (IISJ) and Kamran Jalal of IISR.

The awards were presented to the winners by Masood Ahmed, IISR Principal Perwez and IISD Principal E.K. Mohammad Shaffe. Among the other judges were Imran Khan, an accomplished international speaker, trainer and education consultant, and Dr. Laxman Sockalingam, lecturer at the English Language Center at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz University. Both praised the students and offered them advice for the future.

IISJ Girls School Vice Principal Farhadunnisa and IISJ Girls Section (IX-XII Block) Headmistress Reeta Sharma, who was the debate coordinator, came in for special praise for the excellent and meticulous organization of the lively event.

Anubhav Sharma and Ciya Thomas from the International Indian School-Dammam with the second runner up trophy.

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