LAHORE, July 16: A Pakistani student won silver medal at the international mathematical Olympiad which continued for about two weeks at an Argentinean town, Mar del Plata, and concluded on Monday.

He is Syed Waqar Ali Shah, an A-level student of Pak-Turk International School, Karachi, who competed with about 550 students from 96 countries of the world.

Pakistan had sent a batch of five students to participate in the international Olympiad held every year. They were selected from thousands of students who had participated in national mathematical Olmpiad held in October last and national science talent contest of HEC. Among them 75 students getting top positions were selected who were given two-week training at Lahore.Further tests were held selecting 40 followed by 20 and 10 and five at the last test.

It was after such a hard series of tests they were selected for the international contest. The HEC would honour the remaining four students with special awards on their return. They are: Usama Zaid Malik of Elite International School, Islamabad, Azlan Shaukat of Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur, Ms Huma Sibghat of Hamza Army Public School/College, Rawalpindi, and Dilsher Ahmad of International School of Choueifat, Faisal Town, Lahore. The team was led by Prof Dr Barbu Berceanu, a foreign faculty member of Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences of GCU, Lahore and Dr Ahmad Mahmood Qureshi of FCC University, Lahore.

ASSMA Director-General Dr A.D. Raza Chaudhry, coordinator for training of the national team, said in a statement here on Monday that this year the international contests were extremely hard and tough at all stages including the grand jury. “It is, indeed, a great achievement of a Pakistani student to win silver medal competing hundreds of students from 96 countries. The nation must be proud of the achievement,” he added.

He congratulated Syed Waqar Ali Shah’s teachers, especially his coaches, Dr Babu Berceanu and Dr Mircea Becheanu. He said this international victory had proved that Pakistani students had great talent and could also win gold medal in future. They needed expert coaching and training in mathematics. He said HEC and GCU, Lahore, had commendable efforts to raise the standard of science education, particularly mathematical science by providing the best international faculty to Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences.