Bermuda's young debaters failed yesterday to reach the finals of the World School Debate Championship in South Africa.

They lost in the knock-out round to Pakistan, although they produced one of their best performances ever to finish 13th out of 32 nations.

Bermuda Debates Society President John Barritt said last night: "They've done really well and what we've got to wrestle with now is how we puncture through to the next level of the elite teams.

"Not only have these countries got more students, but they do it year round.

"For all of them it has been a great experience, and I'm sure they will have learned a great deal not just about debating, but about South Africa and the other competing countries.'' The three Bermudian teens who lost out in the debate in Johannesburg were Aziz Ahad and Christie Hunter of Bermuda High School for Girls, and captain Christine Mayor of Warwick Academy.

The other team members were Jonathan Suter of Warwick Academy and Zahra Muhammad of CedarBridge Academy.

The motion, proposed by Bermuda, and for which they had an hour to prepare, was: "This House would impose democracy''.

The final today will be contested between the winners of Scotland v Singapore and Australia v South Africa.

COMPETITION CPN