Unbeaten run propels Crawford Sandton juniors at Gauteng Provincial Debating Championship
Junior debaters from Crawford Sandton clinch 2nd place in Athenium League after an impressive six-round streak.
Crawford International Sandton College is thrilled to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of their junior debating team consisting of Kimiya Ghaheri, Isabelle Gazendam, Sienna Peters, and Lehakoe Hlalele in this year’s Athenium League.
Competing against a remarkable field of 59 teams and 295 learners, their juniors achieved an unblemished record, winning all six rounds in the preliminary stages.
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Nadia Cooke, the project coordinator at the school pointed out that this phenomenal feat placed them as the second overall team, marking a historic moment as the first team ever to go unbeaten through the preliminary rounds of the tournament.
“The Gauteng Provincial Debating Championship faced a new format this year, with an August and a September edition and revised adjudication processes that heightened the competitive environment,” she said.
Cooke said the debaters tackled a range of stimulating topics, including politics, feminism, education, the music economy, international relations, media, criminal justice, and democracy.
“While our team advanced to the knockout rounds on October 13, they faced a tough match in the semi-finals, which led to their exit from the competition.”
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She gave a special shoutout to Kimiya Ghaheri who has been selected for the Gauteng provincial team and also ranked among the top 30 speakers in Gauteng alongside Isabelle Gazendam.
“Their hard work was recognised during a prestigious awards ceremony held at the Blueberry Hill Hotel, a testament to their dedication and skill.”
She added their seniors’ achievements were also outstanding.
“The team, simply named Crawford Sandton, participated with great spirit and determination. They secured three out of six wins in the preliminary rounds, culminating in a rank of 28th out of 54 participating teams.”
The senior team comprised Anelisa Vutha, Tisha Muchafa, Rosemary Mureriwa, Luca Marchetti, Regoikantse Baloyi and Sabrina De Oliviera.
“Congratulations to both our junior and senior teams for their impressive performances and for flying the Crawford flag high.”
Cooke concluded by emphasising that the learners’ dedication and achievements exemplified the spirit of excellence that they valued at Crawford, and they looked forward to even greater success in the future.
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