Saturday 16 / November / 2024
Muscat: School students that wish to test their knowledge and show their worth on the big stage are now welcome to register for the Times of Oman Inter School Quiz.
The shows will be run by Orbit Events Management (part of Orbit Leading Projects LLC), an Omani SME who have created a niche for themselves in events industry and who will be organizing and managing the event this year.
While the quiz has been held in its English language format since 1996, for the first time in the country, a parallel Arabic quiz, titled Al Shabiba – Musabakat Bayn Madaris, will be organised for all private school students in the country.
Talking about the main idea behind the quiz, Mohammed Al Zadjali, the chairman of the Muscat Media Group, Times of Oman and Al Shabiba’s parent company, said it started as a means to provide interaction and networking opportunities between students, at a time when social media was yet to come into existence.
“When we started this back in 1996, there was no concept of social media and therefore, it was not only students, but parents and the whole community that found it extremely interesting,” he said. “They perceived this as a great idea, and we received a great response from them all. As the years passed by, we made sure to keep our participants and the platform up to date with all the technological advancements taking place.
“We employed all the new technology as well as social media platforms for live broadcasts of the quiz. The main aim was to keep the competition up to date, and to prove that the group is in tune with technological advancements,” Al Zadjali said. “We have always wanted to include Arabic language in the competition as we want the community at large to benefit from this platform, and so we are seeking approval this year from the Ministry of Education which we can further use to attract more participants from private Arabic schools across Oman.
“The quiz competition has nothing to do with the curriculum at school but is built around the general knowledge of kids these days. This will help the current generation to motivate themselves and keep abreast of what’s happening around them,” the chairman of the group said.
“Omani students have great IQs and an impressive presence of mind. These traits are a quintessential element for those participating in and winning Quizzes. We are confident that they will grab hold of this wonderful opportunity and amaze the quizmaster and quiz lovers of Oman with their performance. We are truly delighted to be able to present this first ever Quiz in Arabic” said Ramesh Gopalan, the CEO of Orbit Events.
The most sought-after Quiz Master from India, Giri ‘Pick Brain’ Balasubramaniam, has become synonymous with the Times of Oman Inter School Quiz. He will continue to inspire and charm the students and audience this year as well.
“Where the quest for knowledge becomes a sport, learning becomes fun. This is what makes quizzing in Oman stand out, where The Times of Oman quiz for schools is a festival. It is a place I love visiting and it is a true delight to be back,” he said.
To conduct the Arabic Quiz, a dynamic young Omani Quizmaster, Faiz Ibrahim Al Mamari, will be introduced. Faiz is a certified coach, trainer, and an award-winning public speaker, with a predominant funny bone. His stage presence and chemistry with children and a large audience will surely make the Arabic quiz dear to all.
“I’m excited to present the first ever Arabic Quiz Al Shabiba Musabakat Bayn Madaris,” he said. “The quiz questions will be global general knowledge based, with a special focus on Arab countries, especially Oman. I would like to ask all those who will be coming forward for the first time to start developing the good habit of reading.
“There will be different kinds of rounds of questions to make the format of the quiz highly engaging and interesting for all,” he added. “I am very confident that Omani students are creative and have a lot of capabilities and skills and they are ready to shine and succeed.”
