Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Master brains battle it out

PHOTO: RAJU V.

Participants of IMS Quotient-2008 before entering the quiz venue in Vijayawada on Sunday. —

VIJAYAWADA: It was quizzing at its best at IMS Quotient 2008 when some 1,000-odd students whacked their brains, shrieked with joy and mourned with disappointment, their assets and liabilities that helped them weigh their intelligence quotient.

Organised on Sunday by the IMS, in collaboration with The Hindu-Education Plus, at Tummalapalli Kshetrayyavari Kalashetram, the city round of the national quiz drew participation of 372 teams, each team consisting of three members.

The venue turned into a hotspot for undergraduates from different colleges, as the place radiated positive vibes, making it easy for the youngsters to exchange pleasantries before getting down to the battle of brains they were heading for.

The participants had to answer 25 questions in the preliminary round to qualify for the final six teams. Some queries were simple but there were brainteasers followed by hushed whispers that were difficult to muffle.

Besides usual questions, there were audio and visual rounds that raised a lot of curiosity among the wizards who struggled hard to play past records in their minds.

A visual of yesteryear veteran Hindi film actor Balraj Sahni had many pairs of eyes narrowing down to recall his movies. Luck proved to be hard, as the several attempts tossed at a frenzied pace were declared as ‘wild guesses’ by the quizmaster.

“Kabuliwaala’, he pronounced the answer triggering several sighs.

Excitement was palpable as the participants seemed to be sinking deeper in the ocean of knowledge as each round progressed, to emerge a strong team with a cutting edge. It was an arduous task to identify six teams amongst the witty lot.

Students of Guntur Medical College, Guntur, V. R. Siddhartha College, Vijayawada, Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, RVR & JC College, Guntur, Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering, Guntur, and Siddhartha College of Arts and College, Vijayawada, bagged the opportunity to take part in the final event comprising five rounds of quizzing.

The time taken by the organizers to evaluate answer sheets of the preliminary round backstage paved the way for loads of entertainment on the stage, which was declared open for those eager to showcase their talent in public speaking, mimicry and singing.

The audience whistled and cheered their peers on the dais who were locked in a tussle that seemed to be heading for a nail-biting finish. Following an interesting roller-coaster ride, the team representing RVR & JC Engineering College in Guntur, was declared the winner.

L. Charan Chowdary, G. Dilip Rayar and B. Varun Kumar Reddy of the team qualified to take part in the quarterfinals, slated for February 9 in Kolkata. The next round of winners will visit Singapore for the finals.

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