Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — The 27th Cluster Meet of the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) & affiliated Indian Schools in the Kingdom set off with a colorful ceremony at the campus of International Indian School Dammam (IISD). The 5-day event was formally inaugurated by Awad Bin Mohammed Al Maliki, director, Foreign & Private Education, Ministry of Education, Eastern Province.

The star attraction of the event was Mohammed Azharuddin, former Member of Indian Parliament and former captain of Indian cricket team, who was the Guest of Honor. Azharuddin in his keynote address urged the students to work hard and achieve success. He told them to make optimum use of the facilities and opportunities provided by the school.

The former Indian skipper thanked the Saudi Ministry of Education and its officials for the support and patronage extended by them to the Indian schools in the Kingdom. He appreciated IIS Dammam authorities for organizing a grand event like the Cluster Meet especially on the Saudi National Day.

Hussein Al- Maqboul, assistant director - Foreign & Private Education, Eastern Province, Dr. Syed Zainul Abidin, chairman, IIS Dammam Managing Committee, John Thomas, member of the Indian Schools Higher Board and members of the School Managing Committee were also present in the inaugural function.

Over 500 students from 15 Indian Schools —International Indian School, Jeddah, International Indian School, Riyadh, International Indian School, Jubail, International Indian Public School, Riyadh, International Indian School, Taif, New Middle East International School, Riyadh, Delhi Public School, Riyadh, Al Falah Delhi Public School, Jeddah, New Al Wurood International School, Jeddah, Radhwa International School, Yanbu, Novel International School Jeddhah, Modern Middle East International School, Jeddah, Dunes International School, Al Khobar, Jabal Farasan International School, Rabigh, and International Indian School, Dammam, who are qualified from the Central, Eastern and Western provinces, are participating in the event competing in football, volleyball, basketball and table tennis.

The participating school contingents presented a march past to the Chief Guest Awad Al Maliki, who took salute. Earlier, the IIS Dammam Scout Group presented a Guard of Honor. Awad Al Maliki, Dr. Zain Ul Abidin and Dr. E K Mohammed Shaffe, hoisted the CBSE, Cluster and School Flags marking the beginning of the meet.

School Captains Mohd. Yasir Yahya and Varsha Vijaykumar, Sports Captains Shaheel Shamsudeen, Aditya Unnikrishnan, and Steve presented bouquets of to the guests. IIS Dammam Sports Captain Shaheel Shamsudeen administered the Oath of the Meet. Students from the upper primary girls and upper primary boys entertained the guests and the large gathering of parents and others with wonderful aerobic drills — “Never give up” and a Saudi dance to greet the citizens of Saudi Arabia on its National Day. Boys from the Senior Secondary Section presented ‘Ayyala’ (the Stick Dance), the traditional dance of the Kingdom and a fusion of Indo-Arab dance.

Dr. Syed Zainul Abidin, in his felicitation address, congratulated the staff members and the students for their dedicated efforts to make the event a grand success. Dr, E K Mohammed Shaffe, Principal & HOI and the organizing coordinator of the event, delivered the welcome address and Ms. Mehnaz Farid, vice principal – academics proposed the vote of thanks. Yogesh Tamboli and Syed Hadi Husain presented the program.