Debaters highly placed in world tournament

A University of Auckland Debating Society team was placed in the top 16 at the World Universities’ Debating Championships held in Manila, Philippines earlier this month.

After competing in nine rounds of debating, the Auckland B team of Nupur Upadhyay and Joshua Baxter beat teams from Oxford and Yale in the octo-final debate to progress through to the quarter-final. This is the first time an Auckland team has reached the quarter-finals (for the top 16 teams) since the 2008 World Championships.

The Auckland A team of Stephanie Thompson and Ben Milsom also reached the octo-finals reserved for the top 32 teams. Both debaters were ranked in the Top 50 best speakers at a tournament involving 800 speakers.

“These rankings reflect the depth of talent and skill possessed by these two highly persuasive individuals,” says Nupur Upadhyay, President of the University’s Debating Society.

“At a tournament featuring 400 teams from more than 70 countries, having two teams in the top 32 spots is an outstanding achievement for Auckland. Auckland C consisting of Max Lin and Todd Livingstone also did incredibly well, keeping in contention for the octo-finals right up until the end.

“This result bodes well for a successful year on both the domestic and international circuit for the remainder of 2012,” says Nupur. “The recently returned debaters are excited about building on this momentum throughout the year and with the generous support of The University of Auckland and its Law School, they hope to pack an even stronger punch at the 2013 World Championships in Berlin.”