Bhubaneswar: This fifth edition of Orissa POST Mettle Meet, the mega quiz competition of Eastern India at Hotel Swosti Premium this Saturday & Sunday, will see 73 premier educational institutions of the state locking horns for the coveted honours. Last-time winners in Junior and Senior categories, Mothers Public School and Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology (IGIT) Sarang, respectively are gearing up to continue their winning streak this year too. Both teams are ‘fully prepared’ for the D-Day. Rahul Patnaik, Sidharth Sahu, Jajati Keshari Sahoo and Swastik Om Kumar are representing IGIT Sarang in this year’s edition, while Kabir Tripathy, Punyaslok Mishra, Shreya Shreerupa Sahoo and Sreyansh Panda are Mother’s Public School’s chosen ones in the Junior category.
During a candid discussion with Orissa POST, the participants spilled the beans about their strategy and preparation before going for the kill. Jajati, pursuing his fourth-year of Civil engineering at IGIT Sarang, said all the team members are fully excited about the competition and are ready to win it again. “We are watching previous year’s videos and are also carrying out mock sessions for the quiz ahead,” he said. Siddharth, who is in his 4th year B.Tech, said the main rivals will be NIT Rourkela and AIIMS Bhubaneswar. Swastik said it is an honour to take part in the quiz. “We are eagerly waiting for the Day,” he said. IGIT team captain Rahul Patnaik said the team has a good chance to win it for the second time in a row. “We have prepared well and our seniors (last-time winners) have mentored us.
Orissa POST Mettle Meet is a grand competition for the state’s top educational institution and winning the trophy a second time is going to be a big task for us,” he stated. Junior category participant from the last time winner, Mothers’ Public School, Shreyansh, from Class X, said the team members’ past experience of participating in quiz competitions will come in handy in managing pressure this time. Team Captain Punyashlok, also in Class X, said participating in competitions like Orissa POST ‘Mettle Meet’ is in itself a great experience. “It’s a great way to gather knowledge and we are excited that it is back. DAV and Loyola are going to be our tough rivals,” he said. Shreya, who is in Class XII, said the team members are reading books and newspapers regularly and also watching previous year’s videos to acclimatize themselves for pressure situations. Mettle Meet was launched by Odisha’s only homegrown English daily Orissa POST in 2016 with a view to reviving the art of quizzing in the state. It is hosting its fifth edition this year after a gap of three years owing to the disruptions caused by the Covid 19 pandemic.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP