Kolkata's Historic Eddie Hyde Memorial Open Quiz Completes 59th Successful Year
The vibrant city of Kolkata witnessed an intellectual showdown as the Eddie Hyde Memorial Open Quiz celebrated its 59th anniversary on Saturday. Held at the parish hall of the Church of Christ the King, this prestigious event, organized by the church in association with the Archdiocese of Calcutta, remains India's pioneering open quiz contest, drawing thirty enthusiastic teams of quizzers from across the region.
Intense Preliminaries Narrow Down the Field
From the initial pool of thirty participating teams, only eight elite squads advanced to the highly anticipated finals. Each finalist team comprised four members, showcasing a blend of experience and youthful vigor. The qualifying round featured a challenging written test with twenty-four questions spanning a wide array of topics, including history, geography, science, literature, and films.
The eight teams that successfully cracked this preliminary hurdle were:
- Paap Se Dharti Phati
- Sarbomongala Sporting Club
- Quiz Lovers of Kolkata
- Smells Like Team Spirit
- Hammer & Tongs
- Banshees of Answering
- Shaukeens
- The Dung Beatles
Grueling Final Rounds Test Mental Agility
Quiz master Barry Antunis, with assistance from Nigel Vincent, orchestrated a demanding final competition consisting of seven rigorous rounds. Participants were put through their paces with tasks such as solving complex anagrams, identifying common links in images and cryptic clues, recognizing voices and speakers from audio clips, and deducing missing elements in intricate sequences.
Sarbomongala Sporting Club, represented by members Bhaskar Dutta, Aakash Roy, Ranjan Roychowdhury, and Amartya Saha, clinched the championship title after a nail-biting contest. Hammer & Tongs secured the position of first runner-up, while Quiz Lovers of Kolkata earned second runner-up honors.
Reflecting on the competition, Dr. Ranjan Roychowdhury, an avid quizzer since 1983, remarked, "The qualifying questions were not easy and the final questions were tough. It just goes to show the high quality of questions. We were not sure who would win till the last minute."
Special Recognitions and Future Aspirations
In addition to the main awards, Banshees of Answering received a special prize for their unwavering commitment to quizzing. The St. Xavier's Collegiate School team was also acknowledged for achieving the highest score among school teams in the qualifiers, highlighting the event's role in nurturing young talent.
Parish priest Father Gregory Monteiro expressed excitement for the future, stating, "We have big plans next year as the event will complete 60 years." Quiz master Barry Antunis praised the competitive spirit, noting, "It was the most competitive quiz in recent times. The teams fought with just the right sporting spirit." Nigel Vincent added with a smile, "We made the quiz sharper and crisper. They had to work hard to reach the finals and even harder after that."
This annual event continues to be a cornerstone of Kolkata's cultural and intellectual landscape, fostering a love for knowledge and healthy competition among participants of all ages.
