Singapore team hits starry heights with five-medal haul at astronomy Olympiad in Mumbai
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The Singapore contingent comprised two Raffles Institution students and three NUS High School students.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF YUEN XIANG HAO
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SINGAPORE - Five students from Singapore clinched four gold medals and a bronze at an international Olympiad for astronomy and astrophysics – the country’s best performance in nearly 20 years.
The annual International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, held this year in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai, attracted nearly 300 students from over 60 countries. It ran from Aug 11 to Aug 21.
The Singapore contingent comprised Raffles Institution students Teo Kai Wen, 17, and Lan Shuheng Jerry, 17, and NUS High School students Eng Cheng Le, 18, Ruhan Tasneem Shafa, 17, and Wang Jun Min, 15.
Kai Wen, Jerry, Cheng Le and Jun Min each won a gold medal, while Ruhan took home the bronze.
This is Singapore’s best performance at the Olympiad since first taking part in 2007, said Mr Huang Zehan, president of Astronomy.SG – a local non-profit group that aims to promote astronomy education in Singapore.
The competition consists of theoretical and practical components, and contestants can be tested on paper- and computer-based problems, planetarium simulation and data analysis.
Selection to the Singapore team was based on who finished tops in the Singapore Astronomy Olympiad, which drew a record 233 participants in March.
Speaking to The Straits Times after his return to Singapore, Jun Min said: “The Olympiad this year proved challenging for everyone – 12 new countries participated for the first time and organisers battled floods and traffic jams in Mumbai.”
Despite these challenges, he was thrilled at the opportunity to participate, adding: “I believe the medals each of us received is more than an individual accomplishment and also reflects our success as a team.”
Kai Wen, who finished in fifth place overall, said the result left him “pleasantly surprised”.
“Perhaps I should have tried a little harder, but I am overall still very happy with the result,” he said.
Jerry, Ruhan and Jun Min said they are looking forward to participating in future Olympiads.
Cheng Le and Kai Wen, who are in year six and will not be able to participate in future Olympiads, plan to continue pursuing astronomy as a hobby.
