Here’s the Winner

Derek O’Brien, the internationally acclaimed quiz master is on the stage asking brain-stirring questions and the auditorium at Sri Satya Sai International Centre is quiet and attentive, concentrating on the questions and trying hard to find answers. Finally a kid answers a question right and O’Brien becomes extremely happy, “That was a really tricky question. I am happy you answered it correct.”

The pangs of nostalgia take me to those times when watching O’Brien on television in Bourn vita Quiz Contest was a must. I am suddenly brought back to the present by O’Brien voice that asks, ‘Which Indian has recorded the maximum number of songs?’ A lady at the back answers ‘Lata Mangeshkar’. As the quiz proceeds I come across a lot of interesting questions and answers.

The parents, teachers and a pool of students from various schools have enlivened the atmosphere and the whole auditorium is reverberating with cheers, hoots and answers from different people. The various rounds concerning science, geography, history, current affairs and various other topics get the audience thinking and also appeal for various responses though the audio visual round remains a hit among the audience.

Finally the quiz gets over and I get a chance to talk to the quiz master. “It’s an interesting fact that none of the metropolitan cities have won here. Winning is a different matter but they didn’t even qualify. The winning team is Aurangabad and the runners up from Jamshedpur. The effort by all the students was marvellous. None of those who came are losers because they are the best among 3,000 schools,” he says and signs off.