Ali Abdullah Al Sada, Qatar National Day Organising Committee member, hands over the trophy to officials of the Ideal Indian School, which won first place in the Cultural Performance Competition for Expatriate Schools yesterday at the Ahmed bin Hanbal School auditorium. (Kammutty VP)
BY RAYNALD C RIVERA
DOHA: Over 500 students from 12 expatriate schools featured in a colourful cultural extravaganza showcasing a medley of music, dance, and drama which delved into the history and culture of Qatar four days ahead of the country’s National Day.
Hosted by the Qatar National Day Organising Committee in cooperation with the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the show was an annual competition for students of expatriate schools on the occasion of Qatar National Day and also included a mega quiz contest for students and the general public.
“We have organised this competition as a way to promote education on the glorious history, culture and tradition of Qatar,” said Faisal Al Hudawi of the Public Relations Department of the MoI.
Garbed in glittering costumes, the performers danced to the tune of Arabic music, staged significant aspects of Qatari culture and re-enacted historical moments which led to the founding of Qatar and the progress it presently enjoys. Among the common themes that came out in the presentations were pearl diving and maritime culture, major sports achievements and Qatari cultural symbols.
Ideal Indian School (IIS) bested 11 other schools to be declared winner of the cultural performance competition judged by a panel comprising representatives from various communities including Malaysia, India, Nepal, the Philippines, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Qatar.
Ali Abdullah Al Sada, National Day Organising Committee member, together with Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah, Director of Public Relations at the MoI handed the QR10,000 prize and a National Day trophy to IIS.
Philippine International School Qatar (PISQ) won second place while MES Indian School bagged third place. They received QR5,000 and QR3,000 respectively along with National Day trophies.
Other participating schools included Pakistan Education Centre, Bhavan’s Public School, Shantiniketan Indian School, Noble International School, Bright Future Pakistani School, Pak Shama College and School, Delhi Public School - Modern Indian School, Doha Modern Indian School and Birla Public School. All participating schools were given mementoes.
The mega quiz revolved around the fields of security, sports, economy, customs and traditions and included trivia questions on Qatar’s history, historical landmarks, famous Qatari personalities, geography, art, sports achievements, media and maritime culture among others.
Around 100 prizes were awarded to the winners of the mega quiz which was conducted through a draw.
The event, which was held at the Ahmed bin Hanbal School in Najma, also showed security and safety awareness films. It also featured a performance by young Indian singing sensation Nadir Abdul Salam, famous for his performance of Arabic songs.
The Peninsula
