College students from the Philippines’ Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) debate team begin 2023 on a high note after winning gold at the World Universities Debating Championship (WUDC) held in Madrid, Spain.
The team, made up of David Africa, Toby Leung, Quintin Chua, Aly Barranda, Bern Advincula, and Zen Tiangco, faced off against students from universities including Princeton, Brown, and Harvard in the finals.
This marks the third consecutive year that ADMU has reached the finals of the WUDC, a prestigious and highly competitive international tournament hosted by the World Universities Debating Council. With teams from around the globe participating, the WUDC is widely considered one of the largest and most diverse university-level debating competitions.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the Ateneo Debate Society congratulated Africa and Leung, who represented ADMU as “Ateneo A,” as well as the rest of the team on their victory. “The Ateneo Debate Society is proud to congratulate Ateneo A, David Africa and Toby Leung, for winning the World Universities Debating Championship,” the statement read.
“The World Universities Debating Championship is one of the largest and most diverse university-level majors, hailing teams from all around the world,” it added.
The ADMU community also celebrated the team’s achievement, with Vice President Maria Luz Vilches taking to Facebook to express her congratulations. “A great way to start the New Year!” she wrote.
