News

May 4, 2025 – The Indian Schools Debating Society (ISDS) achieved another milestone at the International Competition for Young Debaters (ICYD) 2025, winning both the Open Championship Trophy and the ESL Championship Trophy. This result follows a hat-trick of ICYD victories from 2021 to 2023 and a grand finals appearance in 2024, continuing a strong record of performances at the tournament.

ISDS fielded four teams this year. Veda Kalra and Aisha Goyal from Vasant Valley School won the Open Championship, while Adyant Gupta and Zaynah Lucien from The Cathedral and John Connon School reached the Open Final. In the ESL division, Samaira Singh and Tara Kumar secured the ESL Championship, and Manveer Pratap Rathore and Prishita Gupta from Emerald Heights International School finished as ESL Finalists.

L to R – Top row: Veda Kalra, Manveer Pratap Rathore, Adyant Gupta, Tara Kumar,
Bottom row: Prishita Gupta, Zaynah Lucien, Aisha Goyal, Samaira Singh

The teams were coached by Hadar Goldberg, a graduate of Tel Aviv University, and Daud Kharal, a student at Lahore University of Management Sciences.

With this result, ISDS has now won ICYD four times in the past five years and reached the grand final in all five editions, reflecting a consistent and sustained record of success in international competition. These results also demonstrate our ongoing commitment to excellence in training, preparation, and representation at the highest levels of global debating.