By Supinda Na Mahachai

Young Thai maths geniuses won 49 medals and ranked second only to China in an international maths competition in South Africa that ended yesterday.

The Thai whiz kids travelled to Durban to compete against teams of lower secondary students from 19 countries including Australia, China, the Netherlands and South Korea the 10th World Youth Mathematics Inter City Competition (WYMIC 2009). Thailand sent 17 of its best maths prodigies who set to work solving problems on July 2.

Adding up to gold

A week and a half later, the Kingdom had bagged 14 gold medals, 19 silvers and 16 bronzes, said Basic Education Commission secretary-general Kasama Voravan na Ayudhya yesterday. Jirawat Ananrojwong and Veerachai Neeranartwong from Srinakharinwirot University's Demonstration School Pathumwan both won gold in the individual category, while the Thai A team and D team won eight golds apiece. An international team with one Thai representative pocketed four gold medals.

"Thai students' maths skills impressed foreign media," said Kasama, adding that the medal haul was bigger than past years. The students touched down in Bangkok with their medals yesterday afternoon.