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Wizards of Vapi rule maths Olympiad

(Image courtesy: Facebook.com)

(Image courtesy: Facebook.com)

NEW DELHI: Granth Thakkar , a 13-year-old student from Vapi, has become the new world mental arithmetic champion .Thakkar, who won the 6th world championship in mental arithmetic on October 12 in German city of Dresden, surprised judges with his ability to solve mathematical problems in no time and without any mistakes .Marc Jornet Sanz from Spain won the second prize. Chie Ishikawa from Japan came third.About 40 young math enthusiasts from 18 countries took part in the contest. Calculator, even paper and pencil, were off limits for contestants.The contest takes place every two years.Surprisingly, Thakkar does not want to pursue a career in mathematics. He wants to be an astronaut."I think it would be great to fly into space," Thakkar told a news website.Granth Thakkar had also competed in math Olympiad in Turkey's Antalya city. In that event, Thakkar had bagged gold in the world's fastest number game 'Flash Anzan'.In 'Flash Anzan', the challenge is to add up 15 numbers, flashing so quickly on a giant screen that one can barely see them. Granth won gold in the kids' category and silver in the adults' category.