RP math student delegates to China math olympiad bag 1 silver, 2 bronze

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines’ math whiz kids continue on their winning streak in international math contests, adding another string of medals from the 6th China Southeast Mathematical Olympiad held in Nanchang, China earlier last week.

Dr. Simon Chua, president of the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines, said John Russel Virata of Gideon Academy bagged a silver medal while Zixin Zhang of Grace Christian College and Zheng Rong Wu of Zamboanga Chong Hua High School each won a bronze in the tournament held last July 26 to 31.

The three were the country’s only delegates to the contest.

Virata, Zhang and Wu competed with 174 contestants from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, India and Romania in the contest held at the Attached Middle School of Jiangxi Normal University.

Chua said this is the first time in four years that the Philippines won a silver medal in the contest. In last year’s contest, the Philippines won a bronze medal.

The three underwent intensive training by the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines before they competed in the contest which comprised of number theory, geometry and trigonometry.  

“We at MTG are very happy that all our delegates won medals this year. We always emphasize that training is the key to victory in any math contest. And this has been manifested by John, Zixin, Zheng Rong and other winners in various international competitions,” Dr. Chua said.  

The CSMO was started by Professor Qiu Zonghu, vice chairman of the China Mathematics Committee..  

The three Filipino medalists immediately flew back home after the competition dates on July 28 and 29 to take the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) scheduled on Aug. 1.— Rainier Allan Ronda