Last week, saw three young students from Muscat battle it out at one of the world’s most prestigious universities, as part of the Scholars Cup Tournament of Champions. The event was held at Yale University in Connecticut, in the United States, and hosted 3,000 scholars from over 50 countries around the world. Matthew Reddy, Faaris Kukkadi, and Ismat Qayum were sponsored for the trip by SOHAR Port and Freezone, together with container terminal operators Hutchison Ports SOHAR, Shell Oman, and the students’ alma mater, British School Muscat.

These were the world’s best and brightest students, competing in the final competition after all the regional and global heats that had started months earlier with over 30,000 participants. The competition was broken down into four categories: debating, scholar`s challenge, collaborative writing, and scholar`s bowl. This was the first time that Oman had ever been represented at the Scholars Cup and reaching the global finals was in itself a huge achievement.

Mark Geilenkirchen, SOHAR CEO, welcomed the students on their return to Muscat: “Our Omani team won a staggering total of 37 medals and a Scholar’s Challenge trophy, while Faaris Kukkadi was part of the All-Stars selection. This is a result that Oman can be proud of and I hope it will encourage more Omani schools, their teachers and students to participate in future competitions, to help raise the profile of the Sultanate overseas.”

The team had previously won all their Middle East regional heats and came overall second at the Global Round in Cape Town last summer. This year marked the tenth anniversary of the World Scholar`s Cup, and the global schools competition has grown in size and standing since its inception in 2007. Faaris Kukkadi said: "Meeting people and making friends from the far flung corners of the globe and learning lots about new cultures was very special. We had a great time sharing past experiences and making new memories at Yale University.