"I didn't expect to win a gold medal": Interview with Uzbek students who won at the international olympiad

“I didn't expect to win a gold medal”: an interview with Uzbekistani students who won the international olympiad

Abdulloh Razzoqov and Islombek Oʻrolov achieved high results in biology and mathematics at the NEO Science Olympiad held in New York, USA, and were awarded gold medals. Selected from more than 10,000 candidates before the final stage, the young talents competed with over 600 participants from 32 countries in the final stage and ultimately secured their places among the winners. In an interview with a Kun.uz correspondent, the boys spoke about the olympiad process and their preparation.

The first stage of the NEO Science Olympiad was held online in December. More than 10,000 students from different countries around the world participated in it. In the subsequent selection stages, the number of participants decreased. The final, Grand Final stage, was organized at Columbia University in New York.

Students in grades 9-11 competed in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, while students in grades 3-8 competed in mathematics and natural sciences. Representing Uzbekistan, more than 25 students from a total of four schools participated in the finals.

According to Islombek Oʻrolov, a student of the “Millat Umidi” school who represented the country in mathematics, 40 questions were given in the olympiad final. In the evaluation, points were added for correct answers, and points were deducted for incorrect answers. Therefore, rather than guessing answers to questions he was not sure about, he preferred to leave them unanswered.

“I didn't expect to win a gold medal. When they displayed my name on the screen, I didn't believe it at first. Because I thought there were students who had worked harder and prepared better than me. Only when I went up to the stage and held the medal in my hand did I realize that this achievement was real. At that moment, all my preparation and the time I had spent up to that day flashed before my eyes. This medal is not just a victory for me, but a worthy result of my efforts,”

he says.

According to the students, the idea of participating in the NEO Science Olympiad was suggested to them by their teachers at the “Millat Umidi” school. The educators recommended that the children test their knowledge in mathematics and biology at the international competition. After that, the children prepared in extracurricular classes for several months.

“We had to work on some problems for a long time. Finding the answer was not enough; we tried to understand why we arrived at that specific solution. After the first stage, our self-confidence also increased. When we qualified for the Grand Final, we felt that we had the opportunity to test our preparation at an international level. Most importantly, the olympiad taught me not to be afraid of difficult tasks and to keep searching until the answer is clear,”

says Abdulloh Razzoqov.

The result of the two students at the NEO Science Olympiad is not their first achievement in international competitions. Prior to this, Islombek participated in international olympiads such as SEAMO (Southeast Asian Mathematical Olympiad), German Math Olympiad, and SASMO (Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad), winning bronze and silver medals.

Abdulloh is also interested in scientific research. In cooperation with his teachers, he has prepared articles on various topics. In particular, he worked on materials dedicated to children living with Down syndrome and the problems they face. According to the student, some of his scientific works have been published in prestigious journals in the USA and the UK.

Islombek Oʻrolov is currently building his portfolio to apply to prestigious universities in the USA and Germany. He scored 7.0 on the IELTS exam and 1410 on the SAT. His future plans are related to business. Abdulloh Razzoqov aims to study medicine in Germany, and later return to Uzbekistan to establish clinics that meet international standards.