FT 2013: Champs Return for the Clash of Predators

Claiming it would be "The Clash of  Predators", the 2013 EDSUI Founders Trophy formally started today, promising exciting debates that the competition is known for. The tagline may be boastful but 22 of  the 37 participating teams have at least one member with a championship title or best speaker award, living up to the tournament's reputation as Indonesia's toughest nationwide British Parliamentary debate competition.

In most competitions, the share of champions is usually far below that. The recent NUDC, the largest BP competition in Indonesia, only 6 out of 96 teams, or less than 7 per cent, could boast nationwide accolades when they entered the arena.

Picking a favourite for this year's FT is hard. Last year's champion Rifan Ibnu Rahman is back to defend his title with a different partner. Best speakers of the 3 most recent FTs - Satrio Adi Pratama (2010), Melanie Tedja (2011) and Luthfi Abdurrahman (2012) - will also return. The last two will even team up. The most successful pair this year, Invi Atmanegara and Jaran Walia from Binus International who married the two national titles, will take another stab at FT after exiting at the semifinal stage in 2012.

This does not mean FT is unfriendly to dark horses. It is still the only nationwide open contest in Indonesia that could be won by a full high school team - SMA Kanisius Jakarta championed FT 2004. This year, the organisers have given fee waivers and BP training to 4 high school students who want to repeat that feat.

There is also another special addition. Two debaters from different Sumatra colleges have crossed the strait to test themselves against the best of the country, who all come from Java. In their own island, Elsyam Maulana from Universitas Sumatera Utara and Heriyanto from Institute of Trade and Business are predators but they will be in a different jungle at FT, where some teams may see them as prey.

With the intense competition, FT is far from predictable. It is still anyone's game with each preliminary round to be crucial because only 16 teams will advance to the knockouts, which means a number of past champions will go home after round 5. Prelims start tomorrow at Universitas Indonesia's Engineering Center.

The 22 predatory teams with national tournament trophies that will compete in FT 2013 are as follows in alphabetical order of the first member who has a title.

Ahdiat Permana/Sabarudin Adinugroho - (1) JOVED 2009, Bawor 2010, 2011 champ/ (2) NUEDC 2012 champ
Albert Santoso/Aliefah Saras - (1) ALSA UI 2012 champ
Alif Satria/Romario Tambunan - (1) ALSA Unpad 2013, SODC 2013 champ/ (2) AUI 2013 champ/ (1&2) ACDC 2013 champs
Amir Abdul Aziz/Nabila Aghniarizqa - (1) SODC 2013, AUI 2013 champ/ (1&2) ALSA Unpad 2013 champs
Aulia Anggita/Dennys Kapa - (1) Bawor 2012, JOVED 2013 champ/ (2) ALSA UI 2011, GO 2012 champ/ (1&2) ALSA UI 2012 champs
Bernardo Tampubolon/Eldhianto Jusuf - (1) JOVED 2006 champ/ (2) JOVED 2010, IVED 2011, IFF 2011, Pimnas 2012 champ  
Boby Andika/Satrio Adi Pratama - (1) IDO 2013, GO 2013 champ/ (2) NUEDC 2010, JOVED 2011 champ, FT 2010 best speaker  
Cindy Fransisca/Silvya Suwandy - (1) E-Fest 2012 champ, IPSDC 2012, JFF 2012 best speaker 
Dara Indira/Taufiq Bashori - (1) IDO 2013 novice champ
Dito Krista/Vicario Reinaldo - (1) IVED 2010, GO 2012 champ, NUEDC 2011 best speaker/ (2) AEO 2013, UADC 2013 EFL champ
Diovio Alfath/Gendhis Indahayu - (1) NNDC 2013 champ
Egalita Irfan/Roderick Sibarani - (1) Bawor 2012 champ/ (2) JOVED 2012, JM 2012, Atma IV 2013, JFF 2013, GO 2013 champ 
Elvia Sumayastra/Nisrina Praharso - (1) JOVED 2013 champ
Indriani Pratiwi/Muhammad Fidhzariyan - (1) IHL 2013, NDC-NES 2013, ACDC 2013 champ/ (2) IHL 2012 champ
Invi Atmanegara/Jaran Walia - (1) JFF 2013 champ/ (2) Bawor 2013 champ/ (1&2) UADC 2012 EFL, IVED 2013, NUDC 2013 champs 
Jane Revevalin/Rifan Ibnu Rahman - (1) ALSA UI 2013 champ/ (2) JFF 2011, IPSDC 2012, FT 2012, JM 2012, 2013, IDO 2013 champ
Junario Wibawa/Marchella Febriyanti - (1) IVED 2013 novice champ
Luthfi Abdurrahman/Melanie Tedja - (1) NUEDC 2009, ALSA UI 2010, SEO 2011, NDC 2011 champ/ (2) IVED 2003, FT 2012 champ 
Melisa Irene/Wilson Salim - (1) Bawor 2013, GMDT 2013 champ (2) JFF 2012 champ
Midia Arifandi/Annisa Zuhairi - (1) IDO 2013 novice champ
Yosifebi Ramadhani/Andrianto Khiputra - (1) GMDT 2013 champ
Zivana Sabili/Roberto Lie - (1) Newbies 2012 champ & best speaker

The other 15 teams are dark horses that are bent on rewriting the script. Among them are:
The high school teams
Bradley Gunawan/John Amadeo - (1) Twaalf 2012 champ, ANPS 2012, Binus ECom best speaker / (2) Binus ECom 2013 champ
Christine Yaputra/Dimas Prakoso - (1) Enthusiastic Bogor 2012 champ
The non-Java team
Elsyam Maulana/Heriyanto - (1) SOVED 2013 champ/ (2) Dragon 2013 champ

Overwhelming UGM Reign at ACDC 2013

ACDC 2013 Champs - UGM A
(Alif, Indriani, Romario)

Universitas Gadjah Mada had 3 teams competing in the 2013 ALSA UGM Crushbone Debate Competition and all of them reached the semifinals. Two advanced to yesterday's final, in which #1 UGM A (Romario Tambunan, Indriani Pratiwi, Alif Satria) crushed their juniors #2 UGM B (Aldila Irsyad Noi, Ganjar Dennis, Anhar Firdausyi). Alif Satria won the best speaker award, his second in as many months.

Despite the expansion of ACDC to an-all Java competition that had the potential of pulling the best in the country, the only significant additions were second-layer teams from Institut Teknologi Bandung and Universitas Padjajaran. The latter became the sole non-UGM semifinalist. Stronger debaters chose to skip this tournament, giving host UGM freedom to reign. Previously, ACDC was limited to participants from Yogyakarta, Central Java and East Java provinces. UGM is the only national powerhouse in the tri-province area.

FT 2013: Four High School Students Selected For Debate Scholarship

Four high school students, all from Jakarta, will begin their free training with Universitas Indonesia debaters tomorrow for the upcoming Founders' Trophy 2013. After weeks of deliberation, the selectors announced SMA Sang Timur students Bradley Gunawan and Dimas Prakoso, SMA Tarakanita 2 debater Christine Yaputra and Raffles International Christian School speaker John Amadeo deserve to receive the debate scholarship.

The training will prepare them for the oldest and most prestigious BP debate tournament in Indonesia. Top debaters have failed to advance into the knockouts of previous FTs, showing how challenging the event can be. However, a high school team won the competition nine years ago, the only time such a thing occurred in a debating tournament in Indonesia with varsity participants. SMA Kanisius Jakarta defeated top varsity and alumni teams in the final of FT2004.

The details of the FT2013 scholars are as follows:
1. Bradley Gunawan (SMA Sang Timur Jakarta)
Champion of Twaalf Tarakanita 2012; Best Speaker of Binus E-Com 2013, ANPS 2012, Ed.Com 2012
2. John Amadeo (Raffles International Christian School Jakarta)
Champion of Binus E-Com 2013
3. Christine Yaputra (SMA Tarakanita 2 Jakarta)
Champion of Enthusiastic SMA 1 Bogor 2012
4. Dimas Prakoso (SMA Sang Timur Jakarta)
Semifinalist of Binus E-Com 2013

Ganesha Open 2013 Key Results

Champions: #1 Yo Momma (Boby Ruitang/UI & Roderick Sibarani/UI)
Finalists: #6 (Rifan Ibnu Rahman/Ex ITB & Fauzan Maulana/ITB), #9 Tita FC (Nisrina Praharso/UI & Ibrahim Panji Indra/UI), #12 Machiavellian Army (Westra Tanribali/Unpad & Muhammad Luthfi/ITB)
Best Speaker: Boby Ruitang (Yo Momma/UI)

Top 10 Speakers
1. Boby Ruitang (Yo Momma/UI)
2. Jaran Walia (Who's Your Daddy/Binus Intl)
3. Dennys Kapa (Who's Your Daddy/UI)
3. Roderick Sibarani (Yo Momma/UI)
5. Eldhianto Jusuf (23 Our Age Yah/Ex UGM)
5. Albert Santoso (Wim/UI)
7. Elghafiky Bimardhika (Tim Hore/UI)
7. Bramesada Prasastyoga (Wim/Ex UI)
9. Rifan Ibnu Rahman (Najo/Ex ITB)
10. Aulia Anggita (Tim Hore/UI)

UI Debaters Champion Ganesha Open 2013

The 2013 Ganesha Open title went to Universitas Indonesia pair Boby Ruitang and Roderick Sibarani who debated under the team name "Yo Momma!". This is the third BP win for Roderick this year after winning Atma Jaya IV and the Just For Fun debate and second for his team mate Boby who won the inaugural Indonesia Debate Open. They achieved the previous victories with different partners. Boby also bagged the best speaker award, his second this year.

The winners, who broke first from the prelims, defended a motion proposing abstention in the 2014 elections in the final. In the last debate, they defeated another UI team consisting of Nisrina Praharso and Ibrahim Panji Indra, Institut Teknologi Bandung pair Rifan Ibnu Rahman and Fauzan Reza Maulana and an ITB-Universitas Padjajaran hybrid of Muhammad Luthfi and Westra Tanribali.

DOTY 2013: Fourth Trophy Solidifies Jaran Walia's Lead

Jaran Walia from Binus International has strengthened his lead in the 2013 Debater of the Year table with a victory in last month's inaugural Gadjah Mada Debating Tournament. It was his fourth trophy in 2013. He is now the only debater who has achieved that feat this year.

Results from the Asian British Parliamentary debate in Beijing and the National Debate Competition-National Economic Seminar at Universitas Padjadjaran Bandung also contributed into the October calculations. There are only a few tournaments left this year, making it difficult for rivals to overtake the leader. It is still possible if Alif Satria or Amir Abdul Aziz could score maximum points in the remaining championships. The top 10 speakers as of October are as follows:

1. Jaran Walia (Binus International)
2. Amir Abdul Aziz (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
3. Alif Satria (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
4. Invi Atmanegara (Binus International)
5. Roderick Sibarani (Universitas Indonesia)
6. Melisa Irene (Binus International)
7. Magreta Kailla Adenta (Universitas Indonesia)
8. Indriani Pratiwi (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
9. Fauzan Reza Maulana (Institut Teknologi Bandung)
10. Nabila Aghniarizqa (Universitas Gadjah Mada)

Newbies 2013: Key Results

Champions: Universitas Indonesia B (Monica Dwiyanti, Dinda Adhalia, Qurrat Abu Ayub)
Finalists: Universitas Indonesia C (Shaffa'ati Fadzrin, Ireisha Anindya, Priscilla Tjokrowijoto)
Best Speaker: Monica Dwiyanti (Universitas Indonesia B)

Top 10 Speakers:
1. Monica Dwiyanti (Universitas Indonesia B)
2. Dinda Adhalia (Universitas Indonesia B)
3. Qurrat Abu Ayub (Universitas Indonesia B)
4. Stella Hie (Universitas Indonesia A)
5. Wieda Deasy (Universitas Bina Nusantara B)
6. Cynthia Mutiara (Universitas Padjadjaran A)
7. Tia Natashya (Universitas Atma Jaya A)
8. Angela Natalia (Universitas Atma Jaya B)
8. Moudy Alfiana (Universitas Parahyangan A)
10. Priscilla Tjokrowijoto (Universitas Indonesia C)

Newbies 2013: UI Recruits Sweep Team, Speaker Awards

Universitas Indonesia B (Monica Dwiyanti, Dinda Adhalia, Qurrat Abu Ayub)

Powerhouse Universitas Indonesia cleaned out the awards at the 2013 Newbies Debate Competition, showing it continues to attract the best recruits. Since 2006, all winners of national tournaments exclusively for freshers hailed from UI with an exception in 2009 when Binus International won Newbies for the one and only time.

In Newbies 2013, #1 UI B (Monica Dwiyanti, Qurrat Abu Ayub, Dinda Adhalia) defeated schoolmates #3 UI C (Shaffa'ati Fadzrin, Ireisha Anindya, Priscilla Tjokrowijoto) on a 5-2 split decision in the final that had a motion on human clone farming. Monica Dwiyanti grabbed the best speaker title and her UI B partners were right behind her. UI B did not drop a single match throughout the tournament.

Newbies is the annual 3-on-3 tournament for new recruits. The National Novice Debate Championship that usually takes place in May is a similar competition but it uses the BP format. All NNDC titles have gone to UI as well.  
 

Newbies 2013: 3 UI Teams Break 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Powerhouse Universitas Indonesia showed it has no problem in regeneration after 3 of its teams top the break list in the 2013 Newbies Debate Competition. Knockouts will take place tomorrow at UI's Depok campus. Since its inception in 2006, Newbies winners all hailed from UI with an exception in 2009 when Binus International took the trophy out of Depok for the one and only time so far. Newbies is an annual 3-on-3 tournament designed for those without any varsity debating experience. Many Newbies champions have moved on to win national tournaments. The break list is as follows:

1. Universitas Indonesia B
2. Universitas Indonesia A
3. Universitas Indonesia C
4. Universitas Padjajaran A
5. Universitas Atma Jaya B
6. Universitas Atma Jaya C
7. Binus University A
8. Universitas Parahyangan C