MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay's maths prodigy, the 11-year-old Neal Oh Kwang Ming Burger, has been selected to represent the country in the up-coming Pama Global Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association Competition to be held in Malaysia on 21 December.
Neal, who is in Grade Six at the Lighthouse Academy in central Mossel Bay, was one of two children from the Western Cape selected to form part of Pama SA's team following his outstanding achievements at the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic National Competition in Johannesburg on 11 October.
He told Mossel Bay Advertiser he was surprised when it was announced he had won the champion award there. His mother, Jean, said Neal had been learning mental maths since he was six.
"He has always had an eye for maths, and for music," she said. "That is why we [Jean and her husband, André] put him in the A+ students programme." It was through this programme, which operates independently of the formal school curriculum, that Neal really sharpened his maths skills.
Neal Oh Kwang Ming Burger with his award. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
"I think it caught us all by surprise when he made it to the national team," said Jean. "Last year, he didn't make it. This year, he worked really hard and made it. We are extremely proud of him."
When asked what he loves about maths, Neal told the Advertiser he really likes the numbers, adding them up, and the way you have to think about it all.
"I would really like to go to the championships. I have done some fundraising for it, but I might have to do a bit more," he said.
"He is only 11 years old and he is very humble. He just carries on at school as usual," said Jean. "He has the support of his teachers and his friends, but I don't think he realises the gravity of this achievement.
"Neal is very driven and dedicated. He plays the violin, too, and to raise funds for getting to the national competition, he went to a local mall and played for the shoppers. The Mossel Bay community were amazing. There were even some young children pulling coins out of their pockets to give to Neal," she said.
Neal told the Advertiser that in his spare time, he likes to play outside with his dog or soccer with his friends.
He said he also likes to read and play games on his laptop, or phone his friends. When he grows up, he wants to be a professional soccer player or a pilot.
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