Hard work, grit won ISWK team laurels at Times of Oman Interschool Quiz

Muscat: At one time, in the very beginning, the ISWK seemed to be losing ground and paid for their attempt to push their competitors on the back foot, collecting in the process, two negatives (-200).

Soon enough, and some tough, nail-biting moments later, they gathered their wits together and saw to it that their unrelenting efforts paid off to crown them as winners of the senior section grand finale of the Times of Oman Interschool Quiz on Friday.

Led by Lael Alva of Grade 12 and Shyam Nair of Grade 10, the ISWK plan was to push the competitors on the defensive, but such strategies sometimes backfire which is what happened for the ISWK earning them two negative points in the process.

“Nevertheless, it was an enthralling experience with the students eager to prove their mettle,” said Jenesha Joseph, the ISWK teacher who had spent hours together guiding both the students.

For Lael, also the ISWK Head Boy, quizzing has been a childhood passion with a huge appetite for reading, retaining and recalling information at the push of a button.

He has participated and won in several editions of inter school quiz events such as Quiz Pot. He was the winner of the first edition of IS Quiz Juniors in 2019 and has been a consistent participant in the Times of Oman Quiz as well.  

Lael said, “This year’s quizzing has been at an entirely different level. The pressure was too high as all questions were buzzer-based and all the contesting teams were seasoned quizzers. The nerve-racking questions of Giri ‘Pickbrain’ and negative scoring were too much to handle. Thanks to my partner Shyam, our team did well. I am also thankful to my parents, mentors and the school for support and encouragement. I am delighted that this rolling trophy will be a proud addition to the accolades our school has won all these years.”

Shyam, also an avid reader, especially current affairs, had entered the competition of this scale for the first time, though he had been at the mega prelims stage of Times Quiz previously. He is also active in quiz and the MUN (Model United Nations), which he moderated last year for ISWK. “It was my first experience at this level, especially with buzzers and negative markings for each and every question. The presence of Lael and the motivation of Jenesha Madam made it easy for us. I want to thank my parents, principal, the class teacher, all teachers and especially schoolmates who were present in full strength to cheer us.”

“It was a wonderful experience. Our senior team rose like a phoenix from -200 points to be the winners. Kudos to our quiz team members Lael and Shyam,” Jayaprakash Pillai, vice-principal ISWK.