Date:18/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/18/stories/2006081822980200.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Avid quizzer gets bag of goodies from Germany

Special Correspondent

Retired railway employee wins online quiz during the recent football World Cup

PRIZED POSSESSION: Ramana Rao displaying the prize he won. — Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

HYDERABAD: For the retired Railway man from Malkajgiri, who spent all his life listening to the hum of rails and the thrum of quiz questions and teasers churning in the mind, the colourful packet from Germany took him by surprise.

This avid quizzer had answered a series of quizzes online during the recent football World Cup in Germany on an official sports site of the German Government.

But little did he realise that the rewards would come flying across the seas, all the way to the little railway suburb of Hyderabad.

The prize was presented to Ramana Rao here on Thursday on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Berlin.

"I was always passionate about quizzing and logged on to the German website — www.socceringermany.com — during the football frenzy and kept answering questions," said the retired Superintendent. "I'm excited and a little surprised too at the prize making it intact after so long."

Finding the winner

Says Amita Desai, Executive Director, Goethe-Zentrum, Hyderabad, who was entrusted with the job of finding Mr. Rao.

"The task came as a surprise because the prize reached us after the big event was over. But then with the event stirring up an emotional frenzy and showcasing Germany in a big way we were keen on taking the prize to the man who won it."

And reach it did complete with a football, scarves, T-shirts, caps and whole lot of goodies in German colours. From Berlin with love!