With a trophy on the line, a riveting debate awaits four teams in the 41st Sing Tao Inter-School Debating Competition's Chinese and English sections at Queen Elizabeth Stadium on May 5.
Notably, in the English section, veteran participant Diocesan Boys' School (DBS) will face first-time finalist International Christian School.
Experienced debater for years: Diocesan Boys' School
Owning an impressive record since the tournament’s inception, the DBS's debate team has clinched the championship in the 39th edition and secured third place in both the 38th and 40th competitions.
DBS’s team captain Lee Shing-hee, a Form 5 student, said the school relies on internal training rather than external coaches, adding senior students and alumni will also assist in mentoring younger members.
"Teaching others helps us improve too, which deepens our understanding of English debating techniques," he explained.
To assess members' clarity and argument structure, he shared that the team organizes mock debates to evaluate themselves from an audience perspective.
Lee added that additional preparation has been made for the floor questioning sessions, as well as the shorter speaking time in the tournament.
“After all, it takes more effort to summarize concepts in English,” he said.
Meeting the International Christian School for the first time, Lee described them as a strong opponent, but stressed that the team would put everything into a great battle.
First final in four years: International Christian School
For International Christian School, reaching the final is a significant leap for a team that has only competed in the tournament for four years.
The team’s first speaker, surnamed Choi, a form six student, shared that most extracurricular activities — including debate team training — are student-led, with teachers handling administrative tasks like arranging competitions.
He added that the team gained momentum after reaching the round of 16 this year, when a teammate's parent — who had experience organizing secondary school debates — stepped in to help.
"The parents mainly assist us with the preparations, guiding the team through unfamiliar topics like government policies through unique perspectives," Choi said, noting that the support offered them more time to write speeches and achieve better results this year.
Competing in his final year, Choi stated that the team has dedicated more time to preparation than last year. "I don't want to regret anything. This is my last chance,” he said.
Facing powerhouse DBS in the final, Choi remains undaunted, noting the team will debate in their own style after a long journey that brought them so close to the trophy.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱↓
