The turning point came when he was paid to accompany a team to a tournament. Now a law student in his early 20s, Thivagar is proving that debating is not just an extracurricular activity – it can also be a profession. Thivagar: Coaching is only one part of the job – much of the work happens behind the scenes. Thivagar: Advocacy and critical thinking matter far more than academic results in this line of work. Isabel, 15, a student in Johor, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.

Source: The Star February 22, 2026 00:05 UTC