APIIT Law School's Inter-School Debate Competition 2024: A Showcase of Talent and Resilience

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Media | Published on 2024-06-15

The Inter-School Debate Competition of APIIT Law School, endorsed by the Debaters' Council Sri Lanka, was a thrilling display of talent, excitement, camaraderie, and companionship among the 42 participating secondary schools. This three-day competition commenced with the Preliminary Rounds on June 8th, followed by the Octa Finals and Quarter Finals on June 9th. The climax of the event was the Semi-Finals and Finals, held the following week on June 15th.

Throughout the competition, all 42 schools showcased their immense talent, grit, and confidence, taking the "leap of faith" both physically and virtually. They embraced the challenging motions and utilised the 30 minutes of preparation time to maximum efficiency, delivering compelling arguments. The presence of experienced adjudicators from the Debaters' Council ensured fair and insightful judging throughout the rounds.

From the initial 42 schools, the eight that advanced to the Quarter Finals were: S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia, Royal College, Trinity College, Dharmaraja College, Musaeus College, Ladies' College Colombo, Visakha Vidyalaya, and St Bridget's Convent. The Quarter Finals featured very fiery debates, resulting in Trinity College, St Bridget's Convent, Royal College, and Visakha Vidyalaya qualifying for the Semi-Finals.

On the decisive day of June 15th, Visakha Vidyalaya faced Royal College, and Trinity College competed against St Bridget's Convent. The resilient and eloquent debates led to Royal College and Trinity College advancing to the Finals, while Visakha Vidyalaya and St Bridget's Convent contended for Third Place. Visakha Vidyalaya clinched victory in the third-place match, while the intense Final saw Royal College clinch the title of "Champions of ISDC '24."

The final standings were as follows:Champions – Royal College1st Runners-Up – Trinity College2nd Runners-Up – Visakha Vidyalaya

During the Closing Ceremony of ISDC '24, the achievements of many schools, including those who did not make it past the Preliminary Rounds, were highlighted. Dharmaraja College Kandy was awarded the Most Popular Team, Sri Sumangala College received the Most Spirited Team Award, The British School – Colombo was recognised as the Best Novice Team in the Preliminary Rounds, and Musaeus College was bestowed the Best Novice Team of the Overall Competition. Certificates of Achievement were also given to the Top 9 Best Speakers based on individual scores, featuring speakers from Bishops' College, S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia, Holy Family Convent, Visakha Vidyalaya, Trinity College, and Royal College. The Best Speaker Award was presented to Thesath Keppetiyagama from Trinity College for his outstanding public speaking and debating skills.

ISDC '24 delivered on its promise to all young participants, showcasing the potential and power of respectful dialogue for future generations of debaters. APIIT Sri Lanka conducts undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in Business, Computing and Law awarded by Staffordshire University, UK. With a current student population of over 5000 students and an annual intake over 1000 students, APIIT Sri Lanka is the largest provider of British degree programmes in Sri Lanka. Over the past 24 years, APIIT has produced more than 4,000 resourceful and enterprising graduates and has set a benchmark for quality and standards in private higher education in Sri Lanka.