WSDC 2013: Indonesia Bags Best EFL Team Award

Team Indonesia for WSDC 2013 with their trophies (from l to r):
Coaches Roderick Sibarani and Subarkah Syafruddin, Debaters Carrisa
Tehputri, Adeline Tiffanie, Sayyid Habibullah and Ida Ayu Pradnya Paramita  

Despite preliminary elimination, Team Indonesia won't come home empty from the 2013 World Schools Debating Championships after grabbing the best English-as-Foreign-Language (EFL) team award. This is the first time for Indonesia to win a EFL WSDC prize since the awards started to be offered in 2007.

Carrisa Tehputri from SMA 4 Denpasar will be flying home with the trophy after she was announced as the best on the EFL individual list in which schoolmate Ida Ayu Pradnya Paramita came fourth. Two other members of the 2013 team are Adeline Tiffanie from SMA 1 Kristen Jakarta and Sayyid Habibullah from SMA 3 Pontianak. Universitas Indonesia students Subarkah Syafruddin and Roderick Sibarani coached the team.

The only silverware Indonesia had won before was the Best New Team award from its 2001 inaugural WSDC participation. The 2013 performance, however, is not the best so far. The team collected 4 wins and 4 losses in the preliminary rounds, making them unable to break into the knockouts. Indonesia's best WSDC showings occured when the 2003 and 2004 teams broke into the WSDC octofinals, both with a 5-3 scorecard. Suceeding teams have failed to repeat the feat. There were no EFL awards in 2003 and 2004.