KUCHING – SM Lodge literally took home the World Schools Debating Championship trophy when they won the title for the third year running, which entitles the school to keep the championship trophy.
SM Lodge beat SMK Green Road in both the junior and senior categories at the finals to take the championship title.
Organised from 14 to 17 April by the Debaters Club of Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, a total of eight secondary schools from Kuching and one each from Matang and Kota Samarahan took part this year, making up for a record of 25 teams.
The 10 secondary schools which took part were SM Lodge, SM Sains Kuching, SMK Bandar Kuching No. 1, SMK DHPA Gapor, SMK Green Road, SMK Matang Jaya, SMK Muara Tuang, SMK St Joseph, SMK St Mary and SMB St Thomas.
Winners at the tournament included Best Speaker of English, Nicholas Sim Keyi from SMK DHPA Gapor.
SMK Muara Tuang was adjudged Best Novice team; Best Overall Speaker in Junior Category went to Hannah Chen Yee Sze and Karen Toh Hui Qi from SMK Green Road; Overall Best Debater in the preliminary rounds and Best Debater in the Grand Final went to Julie Chow from SMK Green Road.
Datin Evelyn Ritikos, the Principal Assistant of the Sarawak Education Department, awarded the prizes and trophies together with Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief executive of Swinburne Sarawak.