With over 1100 students, the hall was brimming with excitement as the clock went past the start time of 2 pm. It took another ten minutes of restlessness for the teams as quizmaster Pickbrain’s flight was delayed. He walked in chugging a large suitcase, to a thunderous applause and to his credit within minutes he was on stage.
He started with a gentle apology for the delay but promised to end on time and keep things brisk. True to his words he was snappy and breezed through the prelim.
Wild Card
THE TOP SIX (FINALISTS)
The final too was fast-paced and a head-on battle between NIT and IIM. It was a literal exchange of lead positions between them as NIT seemed to hold the early advantage. That, however, did not last long as the team from IIM quickly changed gears and moved past NIT to shift the pressure back to them.
The NIT duo that has done very well in the past had to settle for the runner up title even as they put on a valiant battle till the final question. The IIM duo just seemed too solid to dislodge. The Head of TCS Nagpur, Mr. Arvin Kumar, and the Principal of the host college YCCE, gave away the prizes. The TCS Head advised the students to have a “No boundaries” approach to learning and assimilating knowledge.
As the quiz ended, teams thronged the stage to catch a selfie with the famous quizmaster. His warm smile and approachable nature drew all of us to him and only made us feel more touched when we learnt he skipped lunch to ensure the quiz ended on time. Salutations, from Nagpur dear Pickbrain.