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Team India at World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) 2019, Bangkok, Thailand
Result
For the first time in the History of WSDC, India were crowned the World Champions. Team India were undefeated throughout the tournament, and won the Grand Final against Team Canada on a unanimous, 9-0 decision proposing the topic “This House regrets the glorification of soldiers as heroes”. India is the second ever developing country to win a World Schools.
India also finished first at the end of preliminary rounds, winning all 8 debates. By the end of the tournament, India had 47 of 48 possible ballots.
For a second year running, an Indian speaker (Tejas Subramaniam) bagged the best speaker award. Bhavya was adjudged 6th best speaker at the tournament, and Manya 14th best.
Debaters
Tejas Subramaniam
Prior to 2019, Tejas represented India in 2017 and 2018 (where he was also adjudged 10th best speaker in the world). Tejas was also best speaker at ICYD 2017. Tejas is in 12th grade, and studies in Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School in Chennai.
Manya Gupta
Prior to 2019, Manya was on Team India 2018. She is now in 12th grade, and studies in Neerja Modi School, Jaipur.
Prithvi Arun
Prithvi is in 12th grade and studies in Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School, Chennai
Bhavya Shah
Bhavya is the first person from Mumbai and the first visually impaired debater to get on Team India. He studies in 12th grade in Rao Junior College of Science.
Saranya Ravindran
Prior to 2019, Saranya represented India in 2018. She is in the 11th grade and studies in Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School in Chennai.
Coaches and Judges
Sayeqa Islam
Sayeqa is a head coach for Team India. She has previously coached India in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, and 2018. She has also coached Team England and Team New Zealand in the past, making her one of the most successful coaches in the World. Sayeqa Islam is also the mentor and backbone of ISDS. She also has an illustrious schools and universities debating career, where she has both won several speaker awards (e.g.: best speaker at the Australasian Debating Championships), as well as served on the Chief Adjudication Panel of several university tournaments (Australasians, Oxford IV, etc.). Sayeqa currently works as an education and capacity building specialist in London.
Dhruva Bhat
Dhruva is a head coach for Team India. He represented India at WSDC in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He studied at Harvard University, where he served as the President of the Harvard College Debating Society. Dhruva coached India in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Dhruva is now a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University pursuing his Master’s in Development Studies.
Dhananjay Ashok
Dhananjay is an Assistant Coach for Team India. He has represented Team India in 2016, 2017, and 2018. In 2018, he was the first ever English-as-a-Second-Language speaker to be adjudged best speaker in the world. Dhananjay is majoring in Computer Science and Economics at the University of Toronto.
Kenza Wilks
Kenza is also an Assistant Coach and judge for Team India. He represented Team England in 2016 and 2017, when England won the tournament and finished as finalists respectively. In 2017, Kenza was adjudged best speaker in the world. After spending a year at Tsinghua University as a Confucious Scholar, Kenza now studies Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) at King’s College in London.
Hemanth Bharatha Chakravarthy
Hemanth judged India in 2019. Hemanth was on Team India between 2015-2018 and was 18th best speaker in the world last year. Hemanth now debates for Harvard University, and studies economics and applied math.
ISDS has represented India in several international debating competitions, including the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC), since its inception in 2008. In 2019, Team India won the WSDC title in Bangkok, Thailand.
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