Roots Olympiad: Gamers rave as competition comes to close

Video game events got the most praise, other competitions, concert get good response.

ISLAMABAD:

Healthy competition not only motivates students to excel, but also teaches them to accept defeat gracefully, observe fair play, and learn from their mistakes.

Over 1,000 students from 20 different schools and 10 cities learned these valuable life lessons at the second and final day of the Roots Millennium Olympiad 2013 in Islamabad on Saturday. The Olympiad was organised at the Roots Millennium Schools (RMS) I-9/3 campus by the school’s students.

The Olympiad saw the participating students compete in 20 different contests, as varied as filmmaking, chess and table tennis.

The computer gaming competition was a big hit with students. Teams from different participating schools faced off in an intense multiplayer gaming battles on the digital football field in FIFA, and the modern war theatre in Call of Duty.

Some students who are ardent fans of computer gaming said the multiplayer competition was the most fiercely-fought yet entertaining gaming experience they have had in Islamabad.

Teachers from the participating schools commended the efforts of the students, especially those in the organising party, who helped make the Olympiad a reality. Flora Mehmood, the RMS headmistress and guidance counsellor, said the Olympiad is a reflection of the fact that students need to balance studies with extracurricular activities.

Fashion, computer gaming, ludo, creative writing, chess and table tennis were some of the most popular competitions, with over 60 students participating in each.

Students also held a fashion show which was judged by renowned names from the fashion industry such as Rezz Ali Shah, Yasser Sheikh and Nudrat Gillani. The students showcased dresses from Koolaj, Fashion House and Noreen’s.

UK-based Bhangra band RDX Sahara also performed a concert at the Olympiad. The band got the students cheering and applauding with their hit song “Laal Ghagra.”

The Olympiad concluded with an award distribution ceremony for the winning participants and a congratulatory address by RMS Chief Executive Officer Faisal Mushtaq.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2013.