Mustafa Marghoob, an entrepreneur and certified trainer from Madinah, was the star of the day. Wheelchair-ridden since he was 10 due to muscular dystrophy, Marghoob won the first prize in international speech.

He spoke about the power of making choice in light of his own personal experiences to win the covetous prize. “It was really exciting,” Marghoob told Arab News.  If he wins the next district contest in Jordan, he would be qualified to participate in the international competition, which will be held in the US in August.

It was the day of Saudis who grabbed three of the four top prizes, excelling over other Asian contestants.  Sarah Maher, president of CBA Club, won the first place in humorous speech and Marwan Dashash from Tanglaw Club came first in the table topic contest.

Alaa Al-Duhaibi from Nesma Club won the second place in international speech and third place in the speech evaluation contest while Rommel Jubay, a Filipino, clinched first in the evaluation contest.

Mohammed Rashid Ali, Division G governor, congratulated all winners, especially Saudis. He also commended Saudi corporate support for Toastmaster clubs.  A large number of Saudi men and women as well as expatriates  took part in the event.

“Success does not come by luck but as a result of a planned hard work timely executed with inspired leadership and sincere motivation,” Rashid Ali said. He praised the organizing committee, headed by Maria Teresa Villanueva for the making the conference a big success.

Nihar Pramod Patel, managing director of Abdul Latif Jameel Group (ALJ), was the keynote speaker. He highlighted the role of Toastmsters clubs in developing the leadership qualities of its members and improving their performance in life, business and career.

“Plan to work and work to plan to achieve success,” Patel said. Successful companies and leaders should give back to their communities by supporting community welfare and development programs, he said and noted ALJ’s contributions in this respect.

Leo Tito Ausan Jr., officer in charge of the Philippines  consulate, emphasized the difficult task of molding speakers to become leaders. “When speakers become leaders, they should stop talking and start working. They should also share their experience with others.”

Maher, who studies at the College of Business Administration said the award was a pleasant surprise for her. “It has motivated me to participate in the district-level contest in Jordan.” Al-Duhaibi, who works for Unilever, thanked Toastmasters for improving her speechmaking skills and urged other Saudis to join the club. “It’s a very good medium for us to learn and socialize,” she added.

Other prominent winners of the day were: K.M. Saifuddeen (second in speech evaluation and third in table topic), Rawi Jalal Khan (second in humorous speech), Edgardo Hernandez (second in table topic), Jonathan Radan (third in humorous speech) and Bobby Ensomo (third in international speech).