LAHORE: The team from Salamat International Campus for Advanced Studies (Sicas) on Monday lifted the Raziuddin Sheikh All Pakistan U-19 Debating Championship 2014 trophy with a split 5-4 decision against the Lahore Grammar School (LGS), Defence Phase-V team.

A four-day debating championship, organised by the Debating Society of Pakistan, was participated in by 48 teams from Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala.

The Sicas team comprised Hassan Qaiser, Shanawar Butt and Moaz Jadoon, while the runner-up team from LGS comprised Asim Waheed, Daniyal Nasir Khan and Hammad Farooqi.

The teams from Sicas, Aitchison, LGS Defence Phase-V and Phase-I, the Lahore College of Arts & Sciences (Lacas), LGS Johar Town, and Karachi Grammar School (KGS) had reached the quarter finals on Sunday morning.

The Aisha Ahmed Award for Best Speaker of the tournament was clinched by Zainab Hamid of KGS.

Debating Society of Pakistan President Aisha Amir Ahmed said 20 best speakers from the tournament would be shortlisted for a selection camp to choose a team representing Pakistan at the World Schools Debating Championships 2015 to be held in Singapore.

She said the society was a voluntary organisation selecting, training and sending the Pakistan team to the worldwide championship every year. She said the society was also conducting the Sonnu Rahman All Pakistan U-17 Debating Championship every year.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2014