Eight Azorean youngsters were qualified in the first ten places of the National Mathematic Games Championship, whose national phase was held in Santarem on March 12, bringing together 2250 youngsters from the entire country.

The young students, from elementary to secondary schools, who represented the Azores in this championship, were supported by the Government of the Azores, through the Regional Directorate for Youth with regard to their travels to Mainland Portugal.

This championship is organised by the Department of Mathematics of the University of the Azores and by the Ludus Association at a national level with the purpose of developing logic and strategy which are fundamental for mathematical thinking through educational and recreational games.

Gonçalo Ribeiro and Ana Rocha, from the Ribeira Grande Basic Education School, and Tiago Martins, from the Lagoa Secondary School, were the Azorean students who stood out the most at the National Mathematic Games Championship. These students were qualified in the top three places of the Ouri, Semáforo and Rastros games.

The performance of the Azorean youngsters represents a clear sign of the progress of the education system in recent years, which demonstrates that the skills of the Azorean students are at the same level of other students in this type of competitions.

The achieved results are a strong encouragement to all young students in the Azores to participate in this type of events and to achieve excellence in future editions.

In order to encourage and enhance the participation of Azorean youngsters in such initiatives as well as to increase their interest and knowledge, the Government of the Azores has supported the travel of the Azorean delegation to the Mainland Portugal. With this type of incentives, the Government of the Azores intends to enhance the participation of Azorean youngsters in this type of events, thus stimulating the competitive spirit in these age groups, which is fundamental for their development and for the progress of our society.