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

NUDC 2013: Reigning Champ Binus Only Unbeaten Team After R3

Universitas Bina Nusantara (Jaran Walia & Invi Atmanegara) finished the first 3 rounds of the 2013 National University Debating Championship as the only team that won all their matches. There are 4 preliminaries to go but the pair look strong in their campaign to give their school its third trophy in as many years. Teams from Bina Nusantara won in 2011 and 2012.

The tab leaders, however, are only one point ahead of powerhouses Universitas Indonesia (Roderick Sibarani & Egalita Irfan), Institut Teknologi Bandung (Vicario Reinaldo & Fauzan Reza Maulana) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (Amir Abdul Aziz & Nabila Aghniarizqa) and dark horses Universitas Pelita Harapan (Clarissa Wijaya & Saagar Teckchandani) and Universitas Sumatera Utara (Elsyam Maulana & Frederick Samuel), which all have collected 8 points.

The running of NUDC 2013 has been smooth so far with fast online match-ups, debates ending on time and clear motions. The one nagging issue is the adjudication pool. With more than 80 judges classified as trainees, which means their test scores came short, there was no chamber in 3 rounds with the ideal three-member panel. Most rooms only had one qualified adjudicator. 

NUDC 2013: Host Politeknik Sriwijaya Confirms Dates for Nationals

Palembang-based Politeknik Negeri Sriwijaya plans to host the main competition of the 2013 National University Debating Championship from August 25 to 31, according to the school's website. Debaters have waited for this information for some time after the education ministry moved the national round from the scheduled June slot without much clarity on the details of the annual event. Regional selections finished in May and 96 pairs are ready to fight for the crown.

While Polsri has limited record in hosting, or excelling, in top-level national varsity debating tournaments, it is prominent among polytechnic schools. It hosted the national event for polytechnic debaters called NPEDC in 2011. Nonetheless, running a tournament with more than 300 debaters and adjudicators is a Herculean task for any school, especially with such short preparation time. It will be the first time for a college on Sumatra island to organize a major national championship since Universitas Sumatera Utara hosted IVED a decade ago.

The confirmed dates coincide with Universitas Indonesia's annual Just For Fun debate, which usually attracts a lot of good debaters (and potential NUDC adjudicators) who look for extraordinary, humorous topics.      

NUDC 2013: USU Leads Medan Domination in Region 1

Universitas Sumatera Utara (Elsyam Maulana & Frederick Samuel) won the Region 1 selection for the 2013 National Universities Debating Championships after defeating Politeknik Negeri Medan, Politeknik Unggul LP3M and STIE Institute of Trade and Business in an all-Medan final. Four other schools also earned tickets to go to the nationals next month after they reached the semifinals. Three of them - Universitas Negeri Medan, Universitas Darma Agung and Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara - also come from the North Sumatra provincial capital. Universitas Syiah Kuala from Banda Aceh became the only non-Medan team that made the cut from Region 1, which covers North Sumatra and Aceh provinces.    

SOVED 2013 Title Goes to Universitas Sumatera Utara

Universitas Sumatera Utara (Elsyam Maulana/Afif Handri) championed the 2013 Sumatra Overland Varsities English Debate after beating cross-city rivals STIE IT&B, Politeknik Medan and Aceh-based Universitas Syiah Kuala in the grandfinal yesterday. Widopo Hanly from Politeknik Medan and Muhammad Ikhlas from Syiah Kuala became the co-best speakers of the tournament that is exclusively for universities on Sumatra island.  On That Point, the Jakarta-based speaking consultancy founded by former varsity debaters, was the engine behind this event. This is part of a campaign to close the gap between Java-based institutions and those from outside the country's main island.

UN Malang Win ITS Open, USU Law Victorious in Speedy 2011

A team from Universitas Negeri Malang (Ayrton Eduardo, Ziadatul Hikmiah, Erich Zanuardhi) beat same-city rival Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (Gandhabaskara Saputra, Hanif Falah, Anastasya Wattimena) in the final round of the ITS Open English Debating Competition in Surabaya on Sunday. The event attracted more than 40 teams throughout East Java province that could include graduates of their respective institutions in the squad.

On the same day, Universitas Sumatera Utara's Law School (Yuthi Sinari, Paulina Tandiono, Michael Timothy) came out as the winner of the Speedy 2011 debate competition in Medan after defeating STMIK Mikroskil. Elsyam from Mikroskil took the best speaker award in the tournament that had 19 teams from Sumatra's largest city of Medan and its surroundings.

ITS Open, Medan's Speedy Start Today as Veterans Rule IFF

Two 3-on-3 debate competitions, the ITS Open in Surabaya and Universitas Sumatra Utara's Speedy in Medan, kicked off today with 44 and 19 teams respectively. Another tournament STAN's Indonesian Finance Festival may have less participants with only 14 teams but it has been underway since March 10 and will have 2 preliminaries and a pre-semifinal round today. So far, IDF, a composite team comprising veterans Ahmad Naufal Dai (UI/FT'09 Champion), Satrio Adi Pratama (Undip/NUEDC'10 Champion) and Eldhianto Maulana Jusuf (UGM/IVED'11 Champion), are hot favourites in the IFF after beating rivals with clear margins in the first three preliminary rounds on March 11. All three tournaments will hold their finals on March 13.

IFF Still Open for Registration, 44 Teams Join ITS Debate

The Indonesian Finance Festival is still taking debate participants as the 30-team cap has not been reached yet although the event, which will be held March 11-13 at STAN's Bintaro campus, offers enticing prizes, including a combined Rp. 5 million in cash for the champion and runner-up. The motions in the 3-on-3 IFF will all be related to economics. The organizer's email is indonesianfinancefest@gmail.com.


Beside the IFF, two other debate tournaments will also take place in Indonesia next weekend. Surabaya's ITS Open, which will use the Australasian format, will have 44 teams from all over East Java province, including from AAL, Indonesia's naval academy. This is an expansion from its original 40-team cap. The other one is Speedy 2011 at Universitas Sumatera Utara in Medan.

USU to Hold English Debate on the Same Day with IFF, ITS Open

Universitas Sumatera Utara will hold SPEEDY 2011 which includes an intervarsity debate competition on March 12-13 at their campus in Medan. With this competition, there will be three simultaneous debate tournaments in three separate Indonesian provinces on those dates. The two others will be the Indonesian Finance Festival at STAN Tangerang, Banten and the ITS Open in Surabaya, East Java.