The WSDL Team
Meet our world-class organizing team.
Chief Adjudication Panel - Spring 2023
David Africa
Philippines
David is the reigning World and Asian debating champion, part of the powerhouse Ateneo de Manila debate team that has conquered all before it in the recent past! We're excited to have David as one of our CAs for WSDL Spring 2023.
Xiao-ke Lu
Hong Kong
A former captain of WSDC Team Hong Kong, Xiao-ke (they/them) is now a third year student at Princeton University. Among many other debate accolades, they are a two-time WUDC Grand Finalist, Chief Adjudicator of the 2022 Oxford Intervarsity, and the current coach of WSDC Team Vietnam.
Tobi Leung
Philippines
Tobi is one half of the Ateneo team that won a historic WUDC title in January 2023 - only the second Asian team in history to do so. A couple of weeks later, Tobi and our co-CA David travelled to Bali to become Asian debating champions as well. We're thrilled to have Tobi on board for Spring 2023.
Chief Adjudication Panel - Fall 2022
Sharmila Parmanand
Philippines
Sharmila has competed, coached, judged and convened debate in nearly 50 countries around the world. A three-time Asian champion, she has been on the Chief Adjudicator's Panel (CAP) of the World Championships at both university and schools level - WUDC and WSDC - as well as Australs, ABP, UADC and many more. She is a former Head Coach of WSDC Team Philippines and WSDC Team Palestine.
Shudipto Ahmed
Bangladesh
Shudipto has judged in the finals of some of the most prestigious competitions in world debating, such as the Oxford, Cambridge and LSE tournaments, and was on the CAP of last year’s Asian British Parliamentary (ABP) Debate Championships. Shudipto also served on the CAP of WSDC in August 2022.
Kallina Basli
Greece
Kallina is one of the most experienced debate coaches in the world. Head Coach of WSDC Team Greece since 2009, she has also served on the organising committees of WSDC 2009 and WUDC 2016, as well as Chief Adjudicator of the Eurasian Debating Championships on numerous occasions.
Our Previous Chief Adjudicators
Klaudia Maciejewska
Poland
Klaudia achieved noteworthy results at 2020 WUDC as EFL Semifinalist and Top 10 Speaker, was appointed EFL Final Adjudicator 2021, ABP Grand Final Adjudicator 2021, and European Debating Championships (EUDC) ESL Final Chair 2021.
Shruti Deb
India
Shruti was 2021 Australs ESL Champion and Finals Best Speaker, UADC and ABP Finals Adjudicator. She also served as Coach of WSDC Team India and is on the CAP of WSDC in July / August 2022.
Tota Takahashi
Japan
Tota has earned honors as Asian BP Champion 2021, North East Asian Debating Championships (NEADC) Champion 2020, Australs and UADC FinalsAdjudicator, and CABP Asia 2022 Chief Adjudicator.
Ameera Moore
Malaysia
Ameera Moore is one of the most successful debaters in Asian debating history. Three times the champion of Asia, Ameera was on the first Asian team to win the Australasian Debating Championships, and the winner of the Cambridge debating tournament. She was Chief Adjudicator of WUDC in 2019 and coached Team Malaysia to break in 1st place at the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) in 2019.
Amrit Agastia
Malaysia
Amrit is a Malaysian and Australasian Champion who has served on the CAP of both Asian championships (UADC and ABP) and been a judge of both Australs and WUDC Open Grand Finals.
Sourodip Paul
Bangladesh
Sourodip Paul is the current Champion and joint Best Speaker of Australasia, having won the title for Australian National University (ANU) in 2020. A former coach of Team Bangladesh at WSDC, Sourodip will be the co-Chief Adjudicator at Madrid WUDC 2023.
Yoni Cohen-Idov
Israel
Yoni Cohen-Idov is two-time World Debating Champion, European Champion, and a former head coach of Team Israel at the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC). He is the Founder of the YCI Center for Rhetoric and Debate.
Tin Puljić
Croatia
Tin was Open Finalist at EUDC 2019, DCA at EUDC 2020, and the reigning World Debating Champion following his historic victory at Korea WUDC 2021.
Hemanth Bharatha Chakravarthy
India
Hemanth is a former WSDC Grand Finalist with Team India and graduated to Team Manager in 2019. They are now studying at Harvard as well as working with the Gates Foundation.
League Leadership
Andy Hume
Co-Founder & Convenor, WSDL
Coach Andy is a former World Debating Champion and twice served on the Chief Adjudicator's Panel (CAP) at the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC). He previously served as National Coach for WSDC Team Korea from 2014 – 2018. Andy has debated, coached, organised, and been a trainer in debate events in nearly 30 countries around the world.
League Administration Team
Ivan Velentey
Co-Convenor
Coach Ivan is one of Belarus’s most decorated debaters in competition, including winning the University College London Debating Championships. The New York Times invited him to the Great Athens Debate. Additionally, he coached students to a World Debating Championships in French.
Maikhanh Nguyen
Program Manager
Coach Maikhanh participated in numerous USA National Forensics League (NFL) and won the China Agriculture University (CAU) BP Championships, also named 10th Best Speaker. She also competed in the Asia British Parliamentary Championships (ABP).
Doris Yu
Community Director
Coach Doris has lead served in leadership roles in Community Team at debate organizations for over five years. She is the direct point of contact for key partnerships, community building, and parent outreach.
Cookie Hu
Admissions Officer
Coach Cookie was herself a championship debater and speaker during her university years. Cookie serves the WSDL as an Admissions Officer, supporting participating students by placing them in courses to help their future growth as debaters and leaders.
Patrick Sheahan
Learning Platform Director
Coach Patrick leads the WSDL in all online learning capacity, including video content and training material accessibility. He manages a team of developers to generate improvements based on student feedback and performance.
Evgenii Aferin
QuizLeader Director
Coach Evgenii leads QuizLeader, an enrichment competition for WSDL participants and their friends. Students can compete twice per week test their current events knowledge, logical reasoning skills, and win prizes.
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