WSDC 2013: Corrected Draw Gives Indonesia Euro Rivals

World of Wonders Topkapi Palace in Antalya, Turkey - Hotel for WSDC 2013

The revised draw for  2013 World Schools Debating Championships in Turkey presents Indonesia with a mostly European challenge. The first draw for the preliminary rounds of the January 27-February 5 competition had to be cancelled after the organizers failed to include Hungary, which eventually will go against Team Indonesia in the second debate. The other in-round opponents are Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Wales, Romania, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Turkey.

All WSDC teams must debate 8 different teams in the prelims, one from each of the 8 rank-based groupings. Indonesia is in the E grouping (#25-30) and ranks #27 out of 50 contestants. The WSDC groupings are calculated based on victories and judge votes in the past 3 championships. Greece is from group A. So, it is the highest ranked team Indonesia will face in the mandatory rounds. In 2004, Team Indonesia defeated Greece. Realistically, the toughest match will be against Wales, last year's finalist. Four preliminaries have prepared motions and the other four rounds are impromptu. Winning less than five prelims guarantees seats in the audience during the knockouts.

The members of Team Indonesia 2013 are Carrisa Tehputri and Ida Ayu Pradnya Paramita from SMA 4 Denpasar, Adeline Tiffanie from SMA Kristen 1 Jakarta and Sayyid Habibullah from SMA 3 Pontianak. There is no returning member in this team, one aspect that will be common in other contingents. Since its WSDC entry, Indonesia has broken twice into the octofinals in 2003 and 2004. The highest achievement is #11 in 2003 but the team which collected the most judge votes was the one who went to WSDC 2010 in Qatar. Unfortunately, the latter did not break. Only the top 16 teams can break into the knockouts. The 2003, 2004 and 2010 teams won 5 preliminary matches. Last year, Team Indonesia ended at #25 after having a 4-4 record.

The draw, speaking positions and motions for Team Indonesia 2013's debates are as follows:

R1 Opp vs Greece  (#6/A) - THBT decisions about children's health should be made by medical professionals, not by parents

R2 Prop vs Hungary (#50/H) - Impromptu

R3 Prop vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (#43/G) - TH supports greater US military presence in East Asia

R4 Opp vs Wales (#8/B) - Impromptu
R5 Opp vs Romania (#32/F) - THW cease the exploitation of resources in the Arctic region

R6 Prop vs United Arab Emirates (#17/C) - Impromptu
R7 Prop vs Malaysia (#20/D) - TH supports sovereign debt default as a legitimate economic strategy for countries 

R8 Opp vs Turkey (#26/E) - Impromptu

See the full draw here