IBA Enigma 2012: High school students wow university with talent

Nixor College, TCS, Aga Khan and Hyderabad teams battle it out in 22 competitions.


Our Correspondent January 29, 2012

KARACHI:


IBA Enigma may have been organised by a university but it was high school students who made it a success over the course of four days.


“It was a great experience for us. We showed off our talent and got a break from studies,” beamed a bespectacled Arsalan Adil. His team, the Rebels, won the debate where he spoke in favour of drone attacks in the country for the sake of argument.

Organised primarily by the university’s arts society, IBA Enigma focused on celebrating the arts, sports with 400 students from schools as well as universities. They participated in 22 events with singing, debates, quizzes, chess, painting, photography and cooking at the University campus.

On the concluding day, Saturday, a flurry of finals took place. The courtyard was flanked by determined sportspersons. At one end, girls from Nixor College battled it out against the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School—the former winning the game. At the other end, boys in their red football t-shirts fought at the Futsal game.

“We wanted to break the stereotype that business schools have nothing to do with fun and games,” said organiser Syed Shiraz Ali while talking to The Express Tribune. “Also, since talent has no age limit we allowed schools to participate.”

Around 110 students came from Hyderabad. Seated on a bench, Zaki Nadeem and his friends from Army School, Hyderabad prepared for the final round of the singing competition with the Tamil song Kolaveri Di. “Back home, we don’t have competitions at such a huge scale,” he said, adding that he felt that students from Hyderabad were being discriminated against as people kept on asking him if it was the first time he had come to the metropolis.

Among other Hyderabad students was 12-year-old Hammad Ahmed Qureshi, the youngest student to come play chess. Ranked 32nd in the under-13 group in Poland last year, The City School student Qureshi came in second at Enigma. “My father used to play chess, and my interest developed. When I was only three, I knew how to play chess,” he said. Qureshi plays around 20 matches every day, battling with family on the chessboard and with players across the world on the computer.

The final ceremony took place at the auditorium, where students entertained the crowd. Student Syed Umer presented an extempore skit on how a woman is behind every unsuccessful man, receiving  a round of applause. Enigma president Faraz Feroz said that they had been planning since October, going to schools and marketing. “We did not expect to get such an overwhelming response. There has been a lack of opportunities and healthy activities and I am happy we provided that to the students.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2012.

COMMENTS (17)

hammad | 12 years ago | Reply

@Rohaan: thanks

Rohaan | 12 years ago | Reply

I'M friend of hammad ! very well done Hammad !! may god bless you !

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