Abu Dhabi school races into the record books with 450kg gold medal

Hundreds of pupils were part of the Guinness World Records bid

Staff and pupils at International Indian School Abu Dhabi with their record-breaking medal. International Indian School Abu Dhabi

The Olympic Games may be mere weeks away but one group of pupils has already put on a record-breaking display that will be tough to beat.

International Indian School Abu Dhabi created the world’s largest medal to commemorate the UAE’s 50th birthday, this December, and the school’s own fifth anniversary.

“I am very excited and I hope this is the first of many records,” said its principal, Dr Beno Kurien.

“We wanted to do something special and thought of creating a world record.

“Pupils have spent many months researching and now that the task is complete. Guinness World Records has announced that the record title of the largest medal is official.”

On Saturday, judges from Guinness World Records confirmed their hard work had paid off.

The steel disc covers 5.93 square metres and weighs 450 kilograms, smashing the previous record of 68.5 kilograms and 2.56 square metres.

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The magnificent medal is adorned with images that celebrate the UAE. They include the national flag, Burj Khalifa, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the first Etihad flight.

Dr Kurien said the victory would motivate and inspire others.

Pupils came up with the idea of designing the medal after days of brainstorming.

About 350 children from Grades 6 to 9 helped design the medal, while 850 youngsters worked on sketches of the UAE, which are printed on to its ribbon.

Dr Kurien said the medal cost close to Dh75,000 to produce, which was paid for by the school.

“Pupils should know more about the country they live in. Our goal was to teach them about how the land developed,” he said.

The school worked with a steel manufacturer to create the super-sized medal, which will be displayed in the school’s lobby.

Pupils studied videos and researched thoroughly before deciding on a final design.

Isha Mishra, 15, was involved in the project.

“The pupils had ideas and we looked at their contributions,” she said.

“I drew the sketch of the medal and I am excited to see it.

“Winning the world record is an amazing experience for us.”

Isha said her favourite part of planning was listening to ideas from her peers and incorporating them in to the final design.