A group of nine students from Dubai who travelled to Athens for a robotics competition had their passports stolen within just eight hours of landing.
Despite this unexpected setback, the UAE team achieved an impressive second place among 193 participating countries in the global competition that’s often referred to as the Olympics of Robotics.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, some of these students recalled the moment they heard of the theft.
The students had gone straight from the airport to the competition venue, spending the first few hours setting up their show at the contest arena.
Later that evening, they returned exhausted to their hotel and retired to their rooms for the night, only to be woken up by some unpleasant news.
“Our coaches went out to get us dinner and parked their car outside. They brought us the food, but when they returned to the car, they discovered everything had been stolen,” said a participant, Vian Garg, a student from Gems Founders School.
This included students’ passports, coaches laptops, and other important documents. Typically, students going for such international competitions are supposed to hand over their passports to the coaches as part of standard practice, since school students are still minors.
“I was sleeping in my room when, around 12.30am, the coaches came and informed me about what had happened. They told me that although the car was locked, it was broken into. It turns out that the area in Athens where our hotel was located is notorious for such incidents, even though the hotel itself was secure. Apparently, rental cars, like ours, are more frequently targeted. Thankfully, we had our Emirates IDs, which proved to be very helpful in the end,” the student added.
Afterward, the coaches went to the police station to file a complaint, but they were sent away and told to come back in the morning. The coaches particularly incurred heavy losses, with their personal belongings like wallets and laptops stolen.
The Year 13 student said: “Upon learning about the incident we were all somewhat distressed, but I think our team handled it quite well. Fortunately, the students’ laptops that contained codes for the competition were safe. The following day we went to the venue and focused on practising. The stress was managed well. Through various preliminary rounds, we kept performing well and getting high scores, and that kept our spirits high.”
Another participant, Riti Paghdar, a Year 12 student at GEMS International School said: “We all had that moment of panic and anxiety as we didn’t know what would happen next. But we were reassured. The coaches were tirelessly making visits to the Embassy to get the documents for us. But our team focused on the game and we gave everything to the competition.”
She added: “We trusted our coaches and parents to take care of it for us. This didn’t prove to be a distraction for us despite the initial shock. The incident happened on September 25 and we were supposed to return on October 2 and we did come back as planned. I am so glad that ultimately everything worked out fine.”
Making an exception, UAE allowed the students to enter with handwritten passports. Initially, the students needed to visit the local police station to get new passport photos taken, followed by a trip to the Indian Embassy in Athens.
Students explained that the Indian missions in Greece and their counterparts in Dubai, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were instrumental in streamlining the entire process to ensure their return to the UAE.
“The Indian embassy in the UAE requested the students’ re-entry with temporary handwritten passports; a rare occurrence, particularly when you’re not entering your home country and we are grateful to everyone for their efforts,” added Garg.
Despite the harrowing situation and apart from winning the Silver medal, Team UAE was also recognised with the Social Media Award and the International Enthusiasm Award.
Bansan Thomas George, CEO of Unique World Robotics and National Organiser of FGC UAE expressed immense pride in the team’s accomplishments. He said: “This is a monumental achievement for Team UAE. Winning silver among 193 countries and earning other prestigious awards showcases the immense talent and potential of our youth. Our team has made the UAE proud on the world stage.”
He added: “The coaches handled all documentation, with embassy support for the students. Although they received handwritten temporary passports, which usually don’t allow UAE entry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made an exception, understanding the situation. Despite the challenges, the coaches kept the students’ spirits high. A strong support system, including parents, UAE management, and the on-site team, boosted the students’ morale, leading to a stellar performance and the reward of their month-long efforts.”
© Khaleej Times
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