BRAC A: first Asian team to become the World Champion of debate
On the 27th of July this year, BRAC A, consisting of Sajid Asbat Khandaker (Postgraduate, MSAE) and Sourodip Paul (Postgraduate, MSAE), became the first Asian team to secure the title of ‘World Champions’ in the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) 2022. The duo competed for the title against Princeton University, the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Ateneo de Manila University in the final round.
The WUDC, also referred to as the “debating World Cup”, has around 250 to 400 teams participating annually making it the largest debating tournament. This year, Belgrade hosted the competition online while live-streaming it on their Facebook page. The motions for debate in WUDC generally cater to a plethora of topics, from art and culture to economics, foreign affairs, religion, politics, sports, and more.
Sajid and Sourodip had previously been acclaimed as the first Bangladeshi team to champion the Cambridge Intervarsity (IV) 2021, a prestigious tournament organised by the Cambridge Union. The 2022 WUDC was their fourth attempt in the competition. Facing the language barrier was one of the most challenging tasks for them since WUDC has native English speakers from advantageous backgrounds. Among all odds, they were able to outshine teams from Harvard, Oxford, and Sydney along with other universities in the tournament. Being “fearless and passionate” is what they advise aspiring debaters to be.
