‘This one was for you, Dad.’
Brothers competed at championship to honour their father's memory
“I know their dad would have been really proud of them and is smiling down on them from heaven,” said an emotional Reeva Maharaj.Her three sons – 10-year-old Yarav and eight-year-old twins, Tashay and Trishaan – competed in the 17th annual PAMA Global Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Championship last year, and, although the odds were stacked against them, they excelled.
“The boys’ father passed away in June last year, causing their whole world to fall apart. Normal routine and practising for the championship seemed impossible.
They were unable to prepare adequately, but, they exceeded all expectations,” she said.
Last year’s championship was hosted by South Africa and took place in Sandton. More than 100 participants from 18 countries competed to be the best. All three Maharaj boys were awarded trophies for their first, second and third places in their respective age groups.
The boys said that the competition was very tough, but despite this, they had fun. “We enjoyed meeting children from across the globe, and even though we were competing against each other, we had loads of fun. We would like to thank our mother for all the long hours she put into helping us prepare for this exam. The four of us worked together, and formed a formidable team, and we have done this in memory of our late father – Rikkesh Maharaj,” they said.
This was the twins’ first International competition, and according to Reeva, they were quite nervous at first, but after finding their rhythm, they did what they do best – juggle numbers. “Yarav took the competition in his stride, as he has been competing on an international level for the past three years,” she added.
At the opening ceremony, Trishaan had the privilege of carrying the Malaysian flag while walking with the Malaysian president, because he was the youngest competitor in South Africa to be placed in the top ten at the national competition.
Reeva added that she was extremely proud of her sons’ achievements and said, “Despite the challenges they have faced, all three excelled at school and earned top spots at the National Maths competition, qualifying for participation in the 18th PAMA championship, which will be taking place in Malaysia in December this year.”
Unfortunately, this honour comes with a huge financial burden, and Reeva said, “I am not sure if I would be able to afford my sons the opportunity to participate at this year’s championship, as the costs are very high. But, I believe that we will be able to make a plan,” she concluded.
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