The World Health Organization launched their second annual Global Handwashing Day on October 15, 2009. The purpose of the two events was to break current world record holder, Bhiddwa School Niketon of Dhaka, Bangladesh, with 1,213 participants.

South Africa broke the current record with 1,802 Gauteng school-children participants with help from rugby hero Bryan Habana.

But it was India that demolished the current record holder with an amazing 15,000 students from 23 schools in Chennai. The handwashing celebration was held in Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Students had mixed feelings about the event saying, “Our teachers insisted that we came, otherwise we would not have bothered about this” and, “we knew that we are going to be part of a record-setting event. Despite being a bit tired, we find it great to be here.”

Congratulations, India.