From Bahrain to Yale: Young Scholars Shine on World Stage

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Three students from Sacred Heart School, Bahrain, achieved remarkable success at the World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions (ToC), held at Yale University, USA, from 6 to 11 November 2025.

Their participation marked a proud moment for the school and underscored Bahrain’s growing presence in global academic competitions. 

The team of Maverick Coutinho, Natalya Nair, and Gershom Joe, qualified for the Tournament of Champions after strong performances at the Bahrain regional round and later at one of the World Scholar’s Cup Global Rounds. Their achieve- ment was formally recognised through an official invitation issued by the WSC team. 

Accompanied by Flavina Vaz, mother of Maverick Coutinho, the Sacred Heart delegation joined over 1,500 scholars from around the world.

The Tournament of Champions is hosted annually by the Yale International Relations Association (YIRA), a non-profit student organisation at Yale University. Since 2012, YIRA has partnered with the World Scholar’s Cup to host this flagship event, aimed at fostering global awareness, critical thinking, and intellectual collaboration among school-aged students. 

Throughout the competition, participants explored a wide range of academic disciplines, including science, technology, history, literature, social sciences, arts, and current affairs. Students engaged in debates, collaborative writing, the Scholars Challenge, and the Scholars Bowl, testing both individual capability and team synergy. 

Achievements

The Sacred Heart students excelled across multiple events, earning 10 medals overall: Maverick Coutinho won 3 Gold Medals (Collaborative Writing, Team Collaborative Writing, Scholars Bowl); Natalya Nair secured 2 Gold (Team Collaborative Writing, Scholars Bowl) and 2 Silver Medals (Individual Debate, Collaborative Writing); and Gershom Joe achieved 2 Gold (Team Collaborative Writing, Scholars Bowl) and 1 Silver Medal (Collaborative Writing).