HONG KONG DEBATE OPEN 2013
Organised by HKUST English Debate Team.
A Student Enrichment Activities Fund Initiative.
Co-sponsored by the HKUST Global Student Office.
ADJUDICATION CORE
Chief Adjudicators
Sharmila Parmanand
Phillipines
Probably the most-travelled debater of our time, Sharmila Parmanand brings to the Adj. Core a formidable wealth of experience in running and adjudicating tournaments. She served as the Co-Chief Adjudicator of Worlds Berlin 2013 and was the Deputy Chief Adjudicator in Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships 2010 and 2011. As a debater she broke at Worlds, reached the finals at Australs, and was thrice Asian champion. Having served as Chief Adjudicator in the previous three editions of the Hong Kong Debate Open, her contribution to the local debating scene is well-recognized and appreciated, and we welcome her back with open arms.
Loke Wing Fatt
Singapore
Mr. Loke Wing Fatt is one of the most respected figures in the global debating circuit. He is known and feared not only for his prowess at adjudication and debating, but for his tireless efforts to spread the culture of debating over the years. While he is officially titled President of the Society of Associated Inter-Tertiary Debaters (SAID), he is more affectionately known as the Father of Debating in multiple Asian countries and regions, including mainland China and Taiwan. He earns this sobriquet for having single-handedly molded both university-level and high-school debating to unprecedented heights. Mr.Loke has also been the Chief Adjudicator of countless tournaments, many of which he helped to found, shape and grow – the Hong Kong Debate Open being one of them. He makes yet another welcome return to Hong Kong as co-Chief Adjudicator, bringing with him not only a wealth of experience, but also a passion and drive that is second to none.
Deputy Chief Adjudicators
Thepparith Senamngern "TJ"
Thailand
With a wealth of experience in the debating circuit, Mr. Thepparith Senamngern, or “TJ” as he is more affectionately known, makes a welcome return to Hong Kong this year. He convened the hugely successful Assumption Worlds in 2008 and has served as Chief Adjudicator of the United Asian Debating Championship 2010 and Asian BP 2009. TJ is no stranger to HKDO for he was its Deputy Chief Adjudicator last year. He has also judged the breaking rounds at multiple international tournaments, including the ESL finals at Seoul Australs.
Unmesh Rajendran
Hong Kong
EDT HKUST's own Unmesh Rajendran will be representing Hong Kong in the Adj. Core. One of our most flamboyant all-rounded debaters, Unmesh has over four years of experience in debating BP style. He has participated in regional tournaments in India apart from the Hong Kong Debate Open 2011 and World Universities Debating Championship - Manila 2012. Unmesh is very passionate about promoting debate in Hong Kong and has twice been the Deputy Chief Adjudicator in the Joint Universities Debating Championships (2012 & 2013).
Yuki Oka
Japan
Our DCA from Japan, Yuki Oka, brings to the Adjudication Core a wonderful combination of debating genius and high-quality adjudication. He is a very successful debater and adjudicator in the Asian BP Debating circuit. He has won numerous Japanese national debating tournaments and finished as Semi-Finalist at ICU Tournament 2013 and Quarter-Finalist at Malaysia Debate Open 2013, Hong Kong Debate Open 2013 and ICU Tournament 2012. As an adjudicator, Yuki holds the distinctions of being Chief Adjudicator at Debate no Susume 2013, Deputy Chief Adjudicator at JPDU 2013 and NEAO 2012 and Grand Final Judge at UADC 2012.
Seth Jeesoo Kang
South Korea
Seth Jeesoo Kang will be a representative of the South Korean debating community on the Adj. Core. As a Lecturer/Judge at the Asian Debate Institute, Seth has been very active in molding the aspirations of Asian debaters. As a debater, he was the Grand Finalist at the 2012 Indonesian Asian BP Championship, 3rd ESL Best Speaker at Seoul Australs 2011, ESL Champion and 3rd Best Speaker at Auckland Australs 2010 , Champion of the KIDA National Championship 2008 and Grand Finalist of NEAO 2007. Seth is an old-timer at Adjudication Cores regionwide. He was the Chief Adjudicator of the 2011 KIDA BP Tournament and 2011 KIDA National Championship. He was also ranked Best and 2nd Best Adjudicator at the 2012 and 2013 editions of the KIDA National Championship.
Tab Director
Imran Rahim
Singapore
Imran Rahim, one of Singapore's most accomplished debaters, will be Deputy Chief Adjudicator (South East Asia) in the Adj. Core. He has numerous achievements to his credit. He was the Quarterfinalist in Botswana Worlds 2011 and Octofinalist in Berlin Worlds 2013. He finished Finalist and Best Speaker in Seoul Australs 2011. He was the UADC Champion in Macau 2011, ABP Champion in KL 2010 and WUPID Champion in 2010. He ranked Best Speaker in UADC Manila 2013, UADC Macau 2011, ABP Dhaka 2011 and ABP KL 2010. Imran also holds the distinction of having been the Deputy Chief Adjudicator at UT MARA Australs 2013.
George Chen
Hong Kong
George Chen is currently one of the best Tab Directors in the Asian Debating Circuit. He was the Tab Director at the recently concluded Beijing Debate Open 2013 and Joint Universities Debating Championship 2013. He will play a key role in ensuring HKDO 2013 runs flawlessly on schedule. George is currently a student at the University of Hong Kong.