Monday 18 / November / 2024
Muscat: As the answers were read-out, the din grew louder. “We didn’t know it would be a cake walk. Looks like the ticket to finals is done,” said jubilant Mohammed Sahil and Gokul Harinair to describe Tuesday gathering at the Indian School, Wadi Kabir.
They were among scores of students vying in the third preliminary round of Times of Oman Inter School Quiz Contest (or TOOISQC) - a flagship event - led by celebrated Indian quizmaster Lloyd Saldanha for the third straight day.
Both the students looked content with what they said were a “mixed bag” of “easy questions” posed in senior category contest.
“We think we answered most of the questions correctly,” they said.
It was a typical Lloyd Saldanha quiz that saw the contest sensibly navigated with the forces of fun and jokes. Known for his witty posers and engaging analysis, Saldanha’s direct, audio and visual queries on science, history, arts and sports kept the crowd of students and teachers glued to the contest. “Besides the contest I am liking his rib tickling one-liners,” one school staffer witnessing the challenge told TOO.
For Rahul Ratnakar - winner of 2015 Essa bin Mohammed Al Zedjali Rolling Trophy in the junior category - “todays contest was good but the competition in mega preliminary will get tough.” His partner Keerthan Venkata said their trainers have put in lots of sweat and that “the preparation is working well.”
“We think we answered all the questions correctly. The coaches in the school trained us well,” he said.
About 350 students participated in the third preliminary round. 35 teams from both categories have made it to the mega preliminary round slated for April 19. Teams from 20 schools are participating in the contest while the top 12 schools are expected to lock horns in the final on April 21 at the City Amphitheatre.
Earlier in the contest for junior category students, Chetan Sethu vowed to repeat his past feat.
Sethu had partnered with Ratnakar to clinch the trophy last year. Ratnakar has moved to senior category this year. “I sense the tough opposition will come from ISG (Indian School Al Ghubra). Students there are just brilliant,” Setha said, adding “But I am hopeful my partner (Aditya B) will help us bag the trophy this year come what may.”
Indian School Wadi Kabir
JUNIORS
TEAM NAME PARTICIPANT 1 PARTICIPANT 2
ITHE BENCHNMARKERS ADITYA MANOJ ABHISHEK MANOJ
THE SMARTEINS MOHAMMED FAQRAJ-UR-REHMAN DEBANJAN CHOWDHURY
DUAL STARS CHETHAN SETHU ADITHYA B. NAIR
SABRETOOTH GENUISES ESSA BIN TARIQ ADAM RAFFI
QUIZCUPS AJMAL AKBAR ASHWIN ARJUNAN
THE FREE THINKERS MOTASSIM KAMRAN BAIG ZOHAIR F. ABBAS
LIOZ OF QUIZ OWAIS AHMED HARIKRISHNAN PRAKASH
QUIZIPEDIA JANAV SHETTY ABVHINAV HARI
EXECUTIONERS -B MOHAMMED IRFAN FARHAAN ALI
THE EX-WIKIPEDIANS ABHIJIT PRASAD NAIR TARUN MATHEW THOMAS
THE QUIZ LEGENDS MANISH SHUBHAM
YOUTH ICONS MOHAMMED ARIF MARTIN JOSEPH SCARIA
WARRIOR STARS ROSHIN ROBIN MILAN SHAJU
SPARK MINDS ADITYA ANAND AADITYA BHASKAR
APOLLO FELIX MARTIN ALOK K. GOPINATH
BLUE SAPPHIRES AKASH SANTOSH PRAJITH PALANIAPPAN
QUIZ LEGENDS ATHUL ANIL RAJ GAURANG VIREN MEHTA
THINKINATORS HRUV N. BHAVSAR KSHITIJ CHATURVEDI
SENIORS
TEAM NAME PARTICIPANT 1 PARTICIPANT 2
QUINTESSENTIAL SHANEL GEORGE JEVITA SALDANHA
TENABLE -2 RAHUL R. KEERTHAN V.
THE NEXT EPISODE SHARLENE WADHWA SAURABH SANTOSH
DI-SHAN SYED SHOAIB ISHAAN Z ESHAN ARORA
BUZZER BEATERS ASHLEY TITUS SABAREENATH M.
3+5=8 SOHAM PAREKH DEVESH GULJARANI
QUIZ EXTREMISTS JERRY ANTONY ANIMESH MOHARIA
DOT COM ANJU TITUS KAREN
HA YA GINI NARENDRAN RAGUL VIRUPAK
QUIZZICAL CATASTROPHE NIKHIL PRASAD MAYUKH MISRA
LORDS OF THE QUIZ ABBHAY BIRADAR SARAN RAM
THE DYNAMITES JEYOOS JAISON AARON ANTHONY MONIS
CHALLENGERS AKASH GOPAKUMAR MIGHTY JIJI
LEGACY OF EKATS NAVIN THOMSY HASSAN F. HAIDER
CHALLENGERS GOKUL HARINAIR MOHAMMED SAHIL
DOUBLE BONDS MIHIR JOSHI HARSHIL NIRMAL
THE LEGENDS AKINJAY JHA JERIN JOSEPH
