MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay’s maths whiz, Neal Oh Kwang Ming Burger, has returned from 23rd Pama Global Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association Competition with a silver award.
Neal represented the country at the competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 21 December, forming a team alongside 11 other learners from across South Africa.
A Grade Seven learner of Curro Mossel Bay, Neal had been one of two children from the Western Cape selected to join the Pama SA team in Malaysia. His selection followed his outstanding achievements at the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic National Competition in Johannesburg in October, when he received the champion award.
According to a letter Marlene Mouton, chairperson of Pama South Africa and the founder and CEO of A Plus Students South Africa, sent Neal’s parents, Jean and André, the competition hosted a total of 585 participants, who were then categorised into five groups based on age and grade levels.
Neal competed for South Africa in the group D category against 118 other contestants aged 12 to 13 and won silver, a feat Mouton said was remarkable.
The competition covered six subjects: abacus addition and subtraction, multiplication and division along with mental arithmetic addition and subtraction, and multiplication and division.
Mossel Bay Advertiser had previously reported on Neal’s prior achievements, as well as his skills as a talented violinist.
Jean told the Advertiser her son had managed to fund his own plane ticket and all his expenses for the competition through busking and sponsors.
She and André also thanked his teachers, Michaela de Swart and Hantie van Niekerk, friends, family members and sponsors who played a major role in fostering Neal’s love of mathematics and the violin and, subsequently, his achievements.
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