Filipino students win 2 golds, 1 silver at international nuclear science competition

COTABATO, Philippines – Two Filipino secondary-level students won gold medals, and another secured a silver during the 1st International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO) at New Clark City in Pampanga from August 1 to 6.

One of the Filipino top prize winners, Mohammad Nur Casib, is an incoming 12th grader at the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) Central Mindanao in Balo-i town, Lanao del Norte.

Casib shone the brightest, emerging as the top scorer in two examinations out of 55 contenders from 14 countries.

He and Neil Kyle Olaer Maniquis of the Manila Science High School brought home gold medals, while another Filipino student from Bohol, Jeremiah Auza of PSHS Central Visayas, won a silver medal.

Casib, Maniquis, and Auza were among junior and senior high school students from different Asia-Pacific countries who competed in the first-ever INSO. The event was organized by the Philippine Nuclear Science Institute, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Nuclear Science Foundation Incorporated, Department of Education (DepEd), and National Research Council of the Philippines.

Casib and Singapore’s Tran Doan Duy Phuc scored the highest in the experimental and theoretical exams, but it was the Filipino who earned the title of “Nuclear Ambassador” for topping the overall tests.

Casib, a Maranao, is now celebrated as a source of pride for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

He comes from a family of scientists. The Mindanao-based Mindanews reported that Casib’s parents are both physicians – a surgeon and a gynecologist at the state-run Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi – and the student has consistently excelled in science and technology competitions both locally and internationally.

Amir Mawalil, a member of the BARMM parliament, said the country should take pride in the achievement of the young Filipino students who won two gold medals and a silver during the competition.

Former Maguindanao governor and representative Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu joined those celebrating Casib’s win and posted on his Facebook page, “Ito ang dapat tularan at ipagmalaki para ma-emulate ng ibang kabataan natin. Dapat ang Republika ng Pilipinas ay iwagayway din niya ito dahil dunong din ang kanyang ipinaglaban.”

(This is what should be emulated and celebrated so that other young people can follow suit. The Republic of the Philippines should also take pride in this because it represents the knowledge and skills he has championed.)

Mindanews reported that Casib and four other young students will represent the Philippines at the 17th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 17 to 26.

Six non-Filipino students also won gold medals, 12 others clinched silver medals, while 16 received bronze medals.

Students from Singapore received the most INSO gold medals, while two others from Sri Lanka and Thailand won one each.

The other gold medalists are as follows:

• Caldras Tan Hong Xun (Singapore)
• Caleb Chia (Singapore)
• Tran Doan Duy Phuc (Singapore)
• Wong Kheng Hshin (Singapore)
• M N Ahamed Mushab (Sri Lanka)
• Nopparuj Sodsri (Thailand)

Meanwhile, the other silver medalists, aside from Bohol’s Auza, are the following:

• Nonpawit Koheng (Thailand)
• Rawisara Chokdeepanich (Thailand)
• Tharatep Lertpetaiy (Thailand)
• Isaac Toh Thiam Tek (Malaysia)
• Lim Yee Jian (Malaysia)
• Subhan Kashif (Pakistan)
• Suleman Nouman (Pakistan)
• Pabasara Kaushalya Maduwage (Sri Lanka)
• W. A. Akila Chamodya Bandara (Sri Lanka)
• Seyedabolfazl Mahdaei (Iran)
• Galvandi Ibrahim (Qatar)
• Mohammed Akrikish (Saudi Arabia)

The following won bronze medals:

• Ayda Bina (Iran)
• Seyed Mohammad Sajadiyan (Iran)
• Shayan Rezazadeh (Iran)
• Arell Yazid Fazrin Bin Mohd Fauzi (Malaysia)
• Saratt Suthagar (Malaysia)
• Ehban Awan (Pakistan)
• Qasim Salam (Pakistan)
• Ganzorig Khuslen (Mongolia)
• Nyam-Ayush Tuvshin (Mongolia)
• Azzam Khalid Abdullah Alomari (Saudi Arabia)
• Hala Salman Al Abbad (Saudi Arabia)
• Hasan Alawadh (Saudi Arabia)
• Hasan Aman (Bahrain)
• Omar Amjad Yousef Shbeita (Jordan)
• Aditya Vivek (Qatar)
• Saayuj Ion Mathew (UAE)

The international competition aimed to advance nuclear education and foster international cooperation in the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology. It also sought to popularize nuclear science knowledge, stimulate student interest, improve teaching, encourage students to pursue careers in the field, and promote international relations. – Rappler.com