GCU debating society wins 324 trophies

LAHORE: The Debating Society of Government College University Lahore (GCUDS) has set an unprecedented national record by clinching a total of 324 trophies at various national and international competitions during the academic session 2018-19.

According to a press release, GCU Orators dominated the national debating circuit by lifting 38 coveted team trophies, 10 runners-up trophies, 115 Best Speaker awards, 88 second-position awards, 64 third-position awards and 09 consolation prizes, which were won at various Declamation, Parliamentary Debates, Model United Nations, Recitation and Poetry competitions at the national level in English, Urdu, Pashto and Punjabi languages. In Parliamentary Style of Debates, GCU lifted team trophies at Shahjiwana (UCL), Lahore School of Economics, Lahore Grammar School JT, Ameer Ud Din Medical College, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Jinnah Sindh Medical University Karachi and Dunya EduFest. GCU also won the team trophies in the U-19 category at Senior Urdu Nationals (DSP), Kinnaird College, LUMS, Forman Christian College and FAST. The high achievers in parliamentary debates include Haris Ali Virk, Gohar Shaukat, Sarmad Wali Khan, Mukarram Ghafoor, Hassan Ijaz, and Ebrahim Naeem. The speakers who excelled in the U-19 circuit include Shah Jahan Tahir, Talha Seemab, Muneeb Ur Rehman, Abdullah Hamid, Hamza Fayyaz, Bahawal Baig, Ali Osjah and Hamza Javed.

In Declamation, Ravian orators stood victorious at various educational institutions all across Pakistan including University of Lahore, Beaconhouse National University, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Shalamar Medical College, PIEAS Islamabad, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, University of Sargodha, and numerous others. The speakers who excelled in declamations include Haris Ali Virk, Abdullah Mohsin, Sheherbano, Romaisha Tauseef, Kinza Tariq, Harram Ashiq, Zohaib Alam, Ahmad Sultan, Amna Ghafoor, Hassan Ijaz, Waqas Ahmad, Umer Duabia, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Shahbaz, Syed Ali Sherdil, Ahmed Raza, Fatima Nasir, Fahad Ul Shabbir, Aliyan Hussain, Taqdees Fatima, Tauseef Mehmood, Umair Ali, Sohaib Shah, Salyha Mohsin, Zoraiz Nasir, Lubaba Shabbir, Ali Hussain, Noman Farooq, Sultan Siddiqui, Khubaib Talib, Shahrand Bhatti, Nasir Kabir and Umair Ahmed. Haris Ali Virk, President GCUDS, and a student of English Literature, proved to be the most successful speaker of the year winning the highest number of trophies. He was declared the Best Debater by the British High Commission Islamabad at the national round of the Great Debate 2019.

Furthermore, Ghulam Mustafa was declared the best Urdu Speaker by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan at the 20th All Pakistan Declamation Contest for the Award of Allama Iqbal Shield. The young Ravian poets Zohaib Alam, Ibtihaj Ahmad, Syed Ali Raza, Kumail Kazmi and Hammad Raza excelled in various national level poetry competitions. In Model United Nations, Mukarram Ghafoor, Rabia Javed, Nashmia Ibrahim, Muneeb Ur Rehman, Amaan Tariq, Hassan Nawaz, Izhar Ul Haq, Huzaifa Khan, Ahmed Ali and Shahrukh Mujahid won several awards. Hafiz Amir and Zahid Hussain stood victorious at numerous Qiraat and Naat competitions across the country.