Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq achieved a sweeping victory at the 2026 WAMAS International Olympiad in Turkey, securing six global titles—including two Super Champion honors and four Champion titles—across rigorous competitions spanning smart mathematics, coding, languages, and rapid mental arithmetic against more than 400 competitors from over 20 nations.
Guljan Berdibekova, President of the WAMAS International Rapid Mental Arithmetic Organization, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the Iraqi delegation delivered an extraordinary performance that stunned participating international teams.
The young Iraqi competitors swept the highest ranks after completing complex tasks across all four competitive disciplines with zero recorded errors, prompting evaluation committees to re-examine test submissions multiple times to confirm the flawless results. Berdibekova commended the Iraqi delegation’s technical leadership, professional organization, and collegiate assistance provided to fellow international participants.
The tournament featured in-person and remote competitors representing approximately 40 global specialized institutions across more than 20 countries, including the United Kingdom, China, Japan, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, India, Iran, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, and host nation Turkey.
International trainer Shahad Al-Rubaie, head of the Iraqi delegation, affirmed to INA that the victory highlights the intellectual caliber of Iraqi youth on the global stage.
Al-Rubaie noted that the team navigated administrative and travel visa obstacles ahead of the tournament before securing the two prestigious Super Champion awards—a title reserved exclusively for competitors who achieve perfect, error-free scores across all four competition categories—alongside four global champion titles.
She urged domestic authorities to expand sponsorship, institutional patronage, and logistical support for gifted Iraqi children to facilitate broader participation in premier international STEM competitions.
