Chua, Olayemi to represent Division E at District 87 Championship
MIRI: Sophiana Chua and Sarah Olayemi both from Brunei will represent Division E at the District 87 Championship in Medan, Indonesia on April 14 after emerging champions at the Division E Toastmasters International Speech contest held at Piasau Nature Reserve here recently.
District 87 comprises 141 clubs in Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Indonesia.
Chua from Brunei Speakers Club was the winner in the Table Topics Contest while second place went to Pranika Lama ( UBD Toastmasters Club) and Dr Loh Yunn Hua ( Miri Club) was third.
Sarah ( OTTERS) meanwhile won In the International Speech Contest while Dr Loh and Aishath Shahudha Abdulla ( UBD Toastmasters Club) took the second and respectively.
Fifteen members from seven Toastmasters clubs in Bintulu, Miri and Brunei took part in the contest.
In the International Speech Contest category, contestants presented a five to seven minute speech on any topic they chose.
The Table Topics Contest is an impromptu speech contest where contestants will deliver a speech of between 1 to 2 minutes on the same topic given to them on the spot by the contest chair.
The organising chair was area director for Miri, Vivian Imang while Xenia Ooi from Kidurong Toastmasters Club, Bintulu was contest chair. The chief judge was Allen Ang from Brunei Advanced Speakers Club.
In her opening third place remarks, Division E director, DTM Lisa Chee explained that speech contests are an important part of the Toastmasters educational programme and tradition.
Each year, more than 30,000 Toastmasters around the world compete in contests, beginning with club contests and winners will continue to compete at each level of contest.
“Life throws us moments when we get one chance to have our say, to put our point of view across and do it with impact. In Toastmasters we learn to do just that and contests provide a platform to elevate those skills,” said Chee.