Kuwait Open Quiz (QoQ) 2017

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IIT IIM Alumni Association pulls it off again in style and with flair. This time in association with IBPC, Kuwait and in partnership with KGL. As the winter sets in November, it alarms Quizzing bells around this time in Kuwait. This year too was no exception with chilly winds hesitantly began their entry into this beautiful little desert nation thirsty for some quizzical quest. 

The Alumni Association of India’s Premium Institutions, IITs & IIMs, organized its spectacular annual open quiz program Q8OQ-2017 for the fourth year running on 24th November, 2017 at the Cambridge School’s grand Auditorium in Mangaf. With every passing year IIT-IIM Alumni Association’s open quiz has become very popular among the quiz enthusiasts and the general public alike. The uniqueness of this event is, it is open to all irrespective of age, nationality, qualification, gender or profession and the entry is free to everyone. The quiz was conducted by the very renowned quizmaster Giri Balasubramanium from India, popularly known across the world as “Pickbrain”. 

The event proceedings began by Mr.Bhushan Joshi, the General Secretary of the IIT-IIM Alumni Association, Kuwait, welcoming all the dignitaries, members of IIT-IIM alumni & IBPC, the Contestants and all the spectators. It was followed by a moment on safety. Then he gave a brief of the format and salient features of the competition as well as the program. 

The Format of the contest was at three levels – Written Prelims, Semi-finals and Grand Finale. However, the Contest itself began several months ago, with each school conducting their intra school qualifying tests, and the committee of IITIIM alumni selecting their best teams for the event day prelims. More than 500 teams from various schools participated in these qualifying tests. Open teams of course joined directly into the written prelims, unlike the school kids. Every Team consisted of three contestants. Initially all the teams went through a qualifying round of tough 25 common questions. Top two finishing teams in the written prelims automatically went into the finals. Next best twelve teams were put through another qualification semi-final round divided in two groups of six each. Two teams each, from the two Semi-finals joined the finals, thus making a Grand Finale among six teams. 

Once the written test was completed, while the answer papers were being corrected, the audience consisting of dignitaries, contestants, members of IIT-IIM Alumni association, Indian Business and Professional Council, Kuwait, school children, families etc. were kept busy with the highly talented and much acclaimed local quizzer and the Alumni Core member Mr. Kalai Sevlan, who conducted an equally engrossing and challenging multiple rounds of quizzing, open to all the audience. This has kept the audience concentration at the peak, as there were many fabulous spot prizes. Many knowledgeable and enthusiastic avid quizzers in the audience got several valuable prizes. They returned home feeling proud, cheerful and happy with something to cherish and etched into their memory landscape. 

The semi-finals and main grand finale event began after the felicitations of the honorable guests and co-hosts. Mr. Peeyush Jain, the President of the IIT-IIM Alumni Association welcomed the Star Quiz master, Mr.Giri, the Pickbrain and thanked all the dignitaries and guests who graced the occasion making it a grand success and all those who whole-heartedly supported the association. as well as the associate partners IBPC, who stood by us in organizing this event Indian Business and Professional Council, Kuwait was well represented by the large presence of their members led by the current Chairman, Mr. Bhasin, & Vice Chairman, Mr. Anant Kapadia. He also thanked the chief Guest of the event Mrs. Eman Ali, of Kuwait Boursa Company. 
The guest of honour was the Charge de Affairs, Indian Embassy, Mr. Raj Gopal Singh. Other dignitaries from the Indian Embassy were also present encouraging everyone on behalf of the Embassy. The Chief Guest of the evening was Ms. Eman Ali (Executive Director – Strategic Transformation and CEO Office at Boursa Kuwait Company) has enhanced the event by her gracious presence. The President introduced her enlisting her various academic and business accomplishments to the audience. 

Boursa Kuwait CEO endorsed the Q8 Open Quiz 2017 event as their CSR portfolio activity and as an educative initiative. Boursa Kuwait’s participation reflects its commitments to supporting educational initiatives conveying the importance of this function in elevating the overall performance metrics of communities in the Kuwaiti market. The show is supported by Indian Business & Professional Council, with a directive to promote economic co-operation between Kuwait and India, and to provide a platform for interaction between Kuwaitis, Indians and other foreign residents. 

The IBPC Chairman Mr. Bhasin (co-host) was felicitated. Mr. Bhasin fondly recalled association of IBPC with IITIIM Alumni Association and assured of their continued support in all the activities that will enhance the capabilities of the young minds and benefit the society. He recalled the various activities their association is conducting including inviting highly acclaimed prominent persons from India for enlightenment talks from wide range of fields. The IIT-IIM Association also felicitated, the affectionate and very popular Vice Chairman-IBPC, Kuwait, Mr. Anant Kapadia, who continues to be a great motivator and an ardent supporter in all the association’s proceedings, be it music or any other literary event.

The IIT-IIM Alumni Association President Mr. Peeyush Jain along with Mr. Raj Gopal Singh, Charge de Affairs, The Indian Embassy felicitated the quizmaster Mr. Giri Balasubramaniam – Pickbrain. 

Mr. Mahesh Krishnan, CFO of KGL Holding and our event partners, spoke on behalf of his Organization presenting a detailed account of the fantastic service they are doing as a Corporate Social Responsibility across the globe in his speech. The presentation included the various activities of the KGL as a global firm. He reiterated his company’s commitment to CSR activities and their continuous support to such events. He showed his pleasure in being a part of this event that also contributes to the society. 

The Quizmaster for the event was Mr. Giri Balasubramanyam, popularly known as Pickbrain. He is a world-renowned leading quizmaster, seen every weekend on several Indian television channels hosting quiz shows. He has presented close to 2000 shows across 92 destinations in India, Singapore, Sri-Lanka, Japan, Kuwait, Middle East, UK and USA. Mr. Giri is known for his distinctive techno savvy style of quizzing, sense of humor coupled with great flair and approachable easy nature, which has earned him several accolades. Tata Crucible Business Quiz for Colleges & Corporates, TCS IT WIZ quiz for Schools, Reserve Bank of India IQ quiz, Times of Oman Quiz are some of the most popular shows hosted by Giri. He began his career as a media sales executive in 1992. In the year 2000, he quit a division of Walt Disney India Pvt. Ltd to pursue his passion for quizzing as a profession. Now, he heads Greycaps India Pvt. Ltd, India's largest onstage quiz Company, headquartered in Bangalore.

He is also a very popular author and creator of several knowledge based books and architect of designing educational programs for schools across India. A popular speaker, educator, motivator and youth mentor who is regularly invited to deliver Keynotes or as a guest of honor at various educational institutions. He received several prestigious awards and he holds seven Limca records for quizzing. He is an alumnus of the iconic elite Harvard University. He holds a Master’s degree on the Gandhian Philosophy.

The inaugural 2014 as well as the subsequent 2015 and 2016 events were also resounding successes with more than 100 teams (3 members a side) from different nationalities participating for the Crown. Following last year’s success which marked the participation of more than 30 international schools and more than 1500 audience attendances during the finals, this year’s 4th edition continued to embark on a grand success path.

A Quiz contest questions and determines a person’s ability to quickly ram and promptly retrieve the correct answer from ones’ repository of knowledge matched equally by unlimited imagination and zest. This year the program has reached new scales of test, crossing the high bar set last year with the enthusiastic participation over 100 quiz aficionados from all walks of life, sizes, ages, gender, nationalities including few tiny tots. 

The quizmaster too was an exception, with his distinctive style of high quality quizzing, great sense of humor, impromptu quick wit and affable personality. The quiz participants and the avid enthusiastic audience were enthralled with a great range of interesting questions posed. With unique format aided by efficient electronic gadgets and software systems, event was conducted in a flawlessly smooth seamless fashion. 

The IIT IIM Alumni Association in Kuwait is an association of alumni of the premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). Registered as a professional association with the Embassy of India in Kuwait, the association functions under the auspices of the Honourable Ambassador of India to Kuwait as its Patron. The Association represents a vast blend of talent and experience from very senior executives to the high energy of youngsters who have just embarked on their professional journeys. 

The quiz was of very high quality, with great range of cryptic questions drawn from different fields of arts, science, sports, politics, fiction etc. from medieval to modern ages, and needless to say the competition was very stiff. Pickbrain in between kept the audience glued with his very interesting and fascinating audience questions, as many prizes were open to them as well.

The top team from DPS, under the team name “Quizzers of Oz”, represented by brilliant kids, Rohita Mahesh, Rishav Vyas and Jos Roy, were simply superb who topped both the prelims and finals with cool calmness combined with blemish free, star performance outwitting everyone on the buzzer and scorecard by miles. They were the well-deserved true winners in every sense of competence metrics. The School Kids proved that, the practice and the current form is of paramount importance, to take up the field, not just to rest on their past pedigree and laurels - a lesson well taught to their senior fellow competitors bestowed with advantages such as age, experience, higher qualifications, vast professionals competence etc. 

They were closely followed by their fellow schoolmates Aditya Ashok, Anand Krishna Kumar and Jaidev Shriram competing under their School name DPS. In the third place, were the worthy trio of Harish Babu, Yash Alva and Nevin Salu, operating under a very foody and funky name “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner from Gulf Indian School”. These brave hearts challenged everyone risking their position all the time eventually finished Second Runner up, in the process denying DPS what would have been a day of clean sweep as the next best School team was also won by the DPS under the name of “Les Quizerables” represented by Sharath Menon, Aaron John Thomas and Rohan Saji John. The best title name prize went to the Team from GIS, consisting of Sanjay Mathew, Barath Kumar and Fahad Ahmad, thus sharing the five prizes in the ratio of 3:2 with DPS. Therefore, these two Schools from the South of Kuwait in Ahmadi Governorate made a clean sweep of all the prizes, leaving rest of the Governorates and Senior Quizzers Teams high and dry. This year the quality and the value of prizes was raised to attract the best of the talent among the competing teams. The Principals of DPS and GIS, Mrs. Anju Dheman and Mrs. Shyamala Diwakaran, respectively, were made to feel proud by the achievements of their wards.

The Program ended with a vote of thanks proposed by General Secretary of the Association Mr. Bhushan Joshi. He thanked the associate partners IBPC, the event partners KGL, the quiz master Pickbrain, Chief Guest, Guest of Honour, other Dignitaries', all the quizzers, Sponsors, Principals, teachers, parents, volunteers and all concerned who have contributed in making the evening an enjoyable and extremely invigorating quizzing experience! He welcome all to be a part of this event in coming years too! Vote of thanks was followed by the Prize distribution.

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are globally renowned premier Indian institutions of higher education in the fields of Engineering Technology and Management, respectively. The association can be reached at contact@iitiimkuwait.com or the official website www.iitiimkuwait.com. 

It is the aim of IIT-IIM Alumni association to promote the knowledge quest, high quality competitive spirit and expose the residents of Kuwait especially the young students to take a path of knowledge seeking and in the process improve themselves and the society around them. With this noble high aim, the Association conducts this Annual Quiz Event, which is its signature event.

 

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Kuwait Open Quiz (QoQ) 2016 

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IIT IIM Alumni Association does it again third year in a row by organizing the biggest quiz event of the Year, in a spectacular style which has won the hearts of all the quizzers in Kuwait. In fact, the onset of winter has become synonymous with this popular Quiz event during which the preparations by the quiz lovers reach highest peaks who defy and overcome all the barriers of age, professional and personal commitments with a sole aim of winning the coveted Mind’s honor of this prestigious signature event of this elite IIT-IIM Alumni Association in Kuwait. The Alumni Association of India’s Premium Institutions, IITs & IIMs, organized its spectacular annual open quiz program Q8OQ~2016 for the third year running on 17th December, 2016 at the majestic Auditorium of the Gulf University of Science and Technology, GUST, Kuwait. Though in its third year, IIT-IIM Alumni Association’s quiz has become very popular among the quiz enthusiasts and general public alike.

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The event began with the introduction of the dignitaries present and that of quiz master Pickbrain. The Association President, Mr. Peeyush Jain welcomed the dignitaries, quizmaster, and the enthusiastic quiz fraternity and thanked all for making this event a grand success. The Indian Ambassador to Kuwait, His Excellency Dr. Sunil Jain in his inaugural speech recalled his nostalgic moments with his alma mater of IIT-Delhi and reaffirmed the grueling at these prestigious IITs prepares them to perform and excel in whatever field they take up.

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The six teams that qualified for the finals of QOQ16 were The Passouts with team members Akshit T., Shannon S. and Pradeep K. T., Wasta from British School of Kuwait comprising of Kareem ElMasry, Lauren Lilley and Mohammed B., Blowing in the wind with team members Debanjan B., Dwaipayan, Plessey M.,Hillarious Democrazies comprising of Noufal B., Amar S. and Mayukh, FAIPS with team members Rohita M., Jos Roy and Rishav D. and This is what we came for comprising of Supreeth S., Mustafa K.and Yusuf P.. QOQ16 Winner team was Hillarious Democrazies with team members Noufal B., Amar S. and Mayukh. The First Runner-up Team was blowing in the wind with team members Debanjan B., Dwaipayan and Plessey M. and the second Runner-up Team was the passouts comprising of Akshit T., Shannon S. and Pradeep K. T. All the teams got handful of gifts and hampers.​

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​Q8 Open Quiz 2015

IIT‐IIM Alumni Association in Kuwait in association with Kuwait College of Science and Technology conducted the 2015 edition of QoQ (Kuwait Open Quiz). ​This year's edition was hosted by renowned quiz master Giri Balasubramaniam, popularly known as Pickbrain, who heads Greycaps India Pvt Ltd. Giri has organised several quiz events including Tata Crucible and Times of Oman.

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​The QOQ~15 Winner team was Quizaholics Anonymous from Oman with team members Hala Jamal, Hani Jamal and Shaheen Hussain, winning a cash prize of KD 500/- and various gift vouchers. The first Runner-up team was Hum Azad Hai comprising Deepak Thomas, Ruchir and Niket Jain, who won a cash prize of KD 300/- and various gift vouchers and the second Runner-up team was Quizards comprising Mayukh Mukherjee, Amar Sesma and Nigel Faria, who won a cash prize of KD 200/- and various gift vouchers.

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Q8 Open Quiz 2014

The IIT IIM Alumni Association in Kuwait successfully concluded the inaugural edition of its annual quiz event – Q8 Open Quiz, on 15th of November 2014 at the Indian Embassy Auditorium. The first of its kind in Kuwait, the quiz was open to all, irrespective of age, educational qualifications and nationality. The quiz attracted huge participation - 75 teams or 225 participants, representing 12 different nationalities, participating in the prelims round - with the top five teams progressing to the finals. 

 

Mr. Peeyush Jain, the president of the association said that he was pleased to see the huge turnout at the event and was proud of the fact that the event attracted participants across age groups from all major nationalities in Kuwait. Quizzards of Oz, a team of Mohsin Mustafa, Robin Cherian and Vijai Krishnan, students of Delhi Public School Kuwait (DPS Kuwait), won the first prize. Everyone was amazed as the young students of DPS Kuwait blazed through all rounds of the quiz, always maintaining their lead over the other teams that had participants who were working professionals.

 

Team Al-QUeIZDa of Kalai Selvam K, Mayukh Mukherjee and Noufal Basheer, professionals working with the Al Shaya Group, won the second prize, followed by the team Incredibly Brilliant Syndicate - of Chris Morgan, Delphine Vallier and Beth Reese, the principal and the teachers, respectively at the International British School - at the third place. The prize for the most innovative team name went to the team - Veni, vidi, vici, which in Latin means, “I came; I saw; I conquered”. Dr. Naresh Akkur, himself an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, was the quizmaster with Mrs. Reva Akkur as the anchor.The Honorable Ambassador of India to Kuwait, Mr. Sunil Jain, graced the event as the Chief Guest, along with other distinguished guests that included Prof. Fawaz S Al-Anzi, Dean of the College of Computing Sciences & Engineering, and three of the founding trustees of the Kuwait College of Science & Technology (KCST) - Mr. Dirar Alghanim, Mr. Tony Jashanmal and Mr. Minoo Patel. Mr. Patel, who is also the CFO of the Al Mulla Group, presented the vision of the KCST founders to bring the highest quality of education in the fields of science and technology to Kuwait. The first batch of KCST students will matriculate in the fall of 2015.

 

The president of the association thanked all the sponsors who had been generous in supporting the event. KCST and the Al Mulla Group were the Platinum and Diamond sponsors, respectively along with Petrofac and Gulf Cryo as the Gold sponsors. At the event, the association also launched its flagship initiative – THINK FUTURE. THINK KUWAIT, an initiative to create awareness and encourage social responsibility towards sustainability in Kuwait. As part of the effort, the IIT IIM alumni in Kuwait intend to create a platform for discussing sustainability and will strive to invite world’s technocrats and business leaders, leveraging their strong alumni network, for regular discussions in order to come up with implementable actions.

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