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| Sunday, 4 September 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Young genii :
They brought honour
These teens are models for most of the teens of their generation who did not engage in wasteful and unproductive activities. They abhor any meaningless engagements. They have distinguished themselves and have a high degree of appreciation for the Fine Arts and the study of both ancient and modern civilisation.
by Ranga Chandrarathne Supun Samarakoon won a bronze Medal at the Olympiad while Buddhi Mahindarathne won an Honourable Mention bringing honour to the nation. Supun Tamara Samarakoon attended Pubudu Nursery School in Narammala, a small township in the Kurunegala District for his early education. Then he entered the Narammala Mayurapadha Junior School where little Supun sharpened his inborn talent and found himself extremely good at Mathematics. Though he passed the year 5-scholarship examination with flying colours, he opted to stay in the same school. At one point, his school education was hampered by a leg injury and he stayed at home after a surgery for more than a year. He was thankful to his dedicated teachers who taught him his missed lessons during the school interval. He did his A/L at Maliyadeva Boys' School in Kurunegala. He could not participate in extra curricular activities such as sports, but participated in activities organised by the Science society and the class, literary Association. Philately and music are some of his hobbies. Supun plays the mandolin. At the O/L, Supun scored eight As, a B and C. His mother is a housewife and he lost his father when he was 12 years. His father was an Assistant Regional Manager at the People's Bank in Kurunegala. He recollects with gratitude, the help and assistance given by the villagers and neighbours when he lost his father. Supun also thanked the Head of the Department of Mathematics at Colombo University, Chanakya Wijerathne, Uditha Katugampola and Dharmasena for encouraging and helping him to prepare for the Olympiad. At the University, the final year students had helped him a lot in organising and prepared MCQ papers for him. He did not forget to mention the other members of the Olympiad team who worked during the training with a spirit of friendship. The President's Fund together with private donors financed the team. According to Supun, the funding was a bit problematic and it become an extra burden to the team. At the beginning, it was thought that all six members could not go to Mexico for the Olympiad. "We had to take an indirect route to Mexico, because of the financial constraints. We flew to America via Japan and then to Los Angeles and to Mexico City, Merida and we had to spend two days for the journey", said Supun. "We could not travel a lot due to 'Hurricane Emily', that had struck the city, but we visited the Pyramids of the Mayan civilisation. Everyone at the hotel had to spend a day at the basement because of the hurricane", said Supun. Supun had also participated last year at the Olympiad held in Athens. "Even in Greece we visited ancient archaeological sites and we made new friends from different countries. We are now interacting with them on the Internet. By associatiing we were able to learn a lot about different cultures." He said describing the exposure he had during the visits. Supun's two brother study at the Moratuwa Engineering Faculty, one as a first year student and the other as a Final year Microbiology student at the Keleniya University. Supun hopes to participate in next year's Olympiad as well and also hopes to get a scholarship to study in a foreign University. He thanked his mother' elders and friends for ecouraging him to pursue his studies. |
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Supun Samarakoon and Buddhi Mahindarathne are ordinary teens in every
sense of the word except for their inborn abilities. They are teenagers
extra-ordinarily brilliant in Mathematics. This was amply demonstrated
when they showed their brilliance at the 49th International Mathematical
Olympiad held in Merida, Mexico. 
They were also appreciated by the academic staff of universities, not
only for their abilities but also for their exemplary social behaviour
that goes in line with the Russian saying, "Guard your honour in youth" by
A. S. Pushkin, a 19th Century poet and Novelist. 
