Iraq has been crowned world champion at the Worldwide Mental Arithmetic Competition (WAMAS 2026), after its students secured the top overall ranking at the international event held in Istanbul, Turkey.
The competition, staged on June 29 and 30, brought together more than 500 participants from countries including China, Japan, Russia, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the Iraqi team outperformed competitors from some of the world’s strongest mental arithmetic programmes, extending the country’s recent success in the annual championship.
The latest victory follows Iraq’s triumph at WAMAS Dubai 2025 and continues a series of strong performances in previous editions of the competition.
The Ministry of Education congratulated the team and praised the leadership of international coach Shahd Al-Rubaie, highlighting the students’ dedication and outstanding performance.
One of the competition’s standout achievements came from Iraqi participant Musa Abdul-Rahman, who won first place despite living with autism. His performance was widely recognised as an inspiring example of determination and talent.
The chairman of the World Association of Mental Arithmetic Schools (WAMAS), Gulzhan Rapikovna Berdibekov, praised Iraq’s participation, saying the country’s long history of knowledge and civilisation is reflected in the abilities of its young competitors.
During the competition, students were required to solve a large number of mathematical problems within a time limit of less than 10 minutes, testing speed, accuracy and mental calculation skills.
Held annually, the WAMAS championship provides students from around the world with an opportunity to demonstrate their mental arithmetic abilities and compete on the international stage.
