THE ADJUDICATION TEAM
Chief Adjudicators
Loke Wing Fatt
Mr. Loke Wing Fatt is one of the most respected figures in the global debating circuit. He is known and feared not only for his prowess at adjudication and debating, but for his tireless efforts in spreading the culture of debating globally over the past 20 years. While he is officially titled President of the Singapore's Society of Associated Inter-Tertiary Debaters (SAID), he is more affectionately known as the Father of Debating in multiple Asian countries and regions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. He earns this sobriquet for having single-handedly molded both university-level and high-school debating to unprecedented heights. Mr.Loke has also been the Chief Adjudicator of countless international tournaments, many of which he established, shape and grow – the Hong Kong Debate Open being one of them. He makes yet another welcome return to Hong Kong as our Co-Chief Adjudicator, bringing with him not only a wealth of experience, but also a passion and drive that is second to none.
Sharmila Parmanand
Probably the most-travelled debater of our time, Sharmila Parmanand brings to the Adj. Core a formidable wealth of experience in running and adjudicating tournaments. She served as the Co-Chief Adjudicator of Worlds Berlin 2013 and was the Deputy Chief Adjudicator in Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships 2010 and 2011. As a debater she broke at Worlds, reached the finals at Australs, and was thrice Asian champion. Having served as Chief Adjudicator in the previous three editions of the Hong Kong Debate Open, her contribution to the local debating scene is well-recognized and appreciated, and we welcome her back with open arms.
Deputy Chief Adjudicators
Thepparith Senamngern
With a wealth of experience in the Asian debating circuit, Mr. Thepparith Senamngern, or “TJ” as he is more affectionately known, has been a member of the Adj Core since 2010 of the HKDO. He convened the hugely successful Assumption Worlds in 2008 and has served as Chief Adjudicator of the United Asian Debating Championship 2010 and Asian BP 2009. TJ also convened the Thailand WSDC 2014. He has judged the breaking rounds at multiple international tournaments and is a very respected international BP adjudicator
Simonas Bartulis
Simonas has been an avid debater since he was in school. He was pronounced the best debater of Team Lithuania WSDC at the Turkey World Schools Debating Championships 2013 where he won the 5th Best EFL Speaker. As a university debater, Simonas was the Champion and Best Speaker of the Grand Final of the 6th Hong Kong Debate Open 2015 and was the 9th Best ESL Speaker at the WUDC Thessaloniki 2016. He also won the SSE Riga IV 2015 and took home the 2nd Best Speaker award there. He was the Chief Adjudicator of 3 Lithuanian national tournaments from 2014 to 2016. In late July 2016, he was at the Germany WSDC 2016 with Team Lithuania as its national coach.
Geetha Creffield
Geetha Creffield has coached Team Singapore to compete at the World Schools Debating Championships on 18 occasions - including the 2011 and 2015 WSDCs in Dundee and Singapore where Team Singapore were World Champions. Members of her teams have also finished as the Best Speaker of the World at WSDCs 3 times. She was the Vice-Chairman of World Schools Debating Council Executive Committee from 2008-09, and was the founding President of the Debate Association of Singapore. She broke and judged the Grand Finals of the 3rd China BP 2014 and the 2nd Shanghai International Debate Open 2016. She taught BP debating extensively in Europe and China in the past 3 years and is an active debate organizer/coach/judge in the Singapore debating circuit.
Lee Kyungmi
Kyungmi first burst into the global debate scene at the Malaysia WUDC 2015 where she was the EFL Grand Finalist. Her most outstanding achievement as a debater was attained at the Greece WUDC 2016 where she was ranked the 2nd Best EFL Speaker of the world. In Korea, Kyungmi was the Champion of the Spring KIDA National Championships. Her high level adjudication experience includes being the DCA of the Spring KIDA National Championship 2016, the Chung Ang University Debating Society (CUDS) Open 2016, and the SNUDA IV 2015. Kyungmi has been a Trainer of the Asian Debate Institute twice, and she was also a Senior Trainer at the 12th Hong Kong Parliamentary Debating Society Summer Workshop & Tournament 2016.
Tab Master
George Chen Cong
George Chen is one of the best Tab Directors in the global debating circuit. He has tabbed the ABP, the UADC and the Australs over the last two years. George will be the Tab Master of the Mexico WUDC 2018. He is also a very respected debate educator in China and is responsible for the rapid development of the university debate circuit there. George is the Assistant Coach of Team China. He will be tabbing the HKDO for the 7th occasion!