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(MENAFN - The Peninsula) More than 500 secondary school students from 58 countries have converged upon Qatar with the 22nd World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC), opening here, today.
This is the first time that an Arab country is hosting the premier international competition for secondary school debaters. Qatar had won the honor of hosting the 2010 championship after beating off strong competition from several countries. WSDC 2010 will be held at 15 of the most prominent educational institutions in Qatar, and has attracted major names and experts from around the debating world.
The championship, organized by QatarDebate, has received an overwhelming response this year and features a strong Arab line-up, with teams from Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine and Sudan vying for honors.
"QatarDebates believes that the Arab teams will perform well in the tournaments and will pave the way for the dissemination of the debating culture in the Arab world," said Dr Hayat Maarafi, Executive Director of QatarDebate. "Our success in bringing the WSDC to Qatar is a significant milestone for QatarDebate, and gives a strong fillip to the center's mission of spreading the debate culture in the Arab world. We look forward to a fortnight of lively, engaging and thought-provoking debates."
The championship promises to be an exciting battle of minds, with the national debating teams of 58 countries participating in the event. The participating countries include Turkey, America, England, China, Japan, Russia, India, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Mexico, Greece, Germany, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Romania, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Mongolia, and Nigeria, besides the Arab states.
Prominent Qatari educational institutions hosting the proceedings of WSDC 2010 include: Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar University, the Academic Bridge Program, Qatar Academy, College of the North Atlantic, Al Bayan Educational Complex for Girls, Al Wakra Independent Secondary School for Boys, Abu Bakr Al Siddiq Independent Secondary School for Boys, Omar bin Al Khattab Educational Complex for Boys, Doha Independent Elementary School for Boys, Amna bint Wahab Independent Elementary School for Girls, Birla Public School, and Debakey High School for Health Professionals.
WSDC 2010 will go on until February 18 and a grand opening ceremony will be held today at the Marriott Hotel, Doha.
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