Over 3,200 children participate in Telangana Mental Math Championship
Hyderabad, July 12(TNT): More than 3,200 children from across Telangana participated in the 22nd Telangana Regional Prodigy Championship 2026, organised by SIP Abacus at Classic Convention Three in Shamshabad on Sunday.
The championship, regarded by the organisers as one of Telangana’s largest mental mathematics competitions, saw participation from children aged between five and 14 years.
ARCA Global International School Principal Pannuru Prabhakar inaugurated the event in the presence of SIP Academy India Founder and Managing Director Dinesh Victor.
Addressing the gathering, Prabhakar underscored the importance of mathematics in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), quoting a Sanskrit verse to emphasise that mathematics has long been regarded as the foremost among all sciences.
He said that while AI has simplified calculations, children need strong logical reasoning and mental discipline to assess information and think critically.
Speaking on “Abacus Training in the Age of AI”, Victor said AI may provide answers, but abacus training develops the ability to think, reason and ask the right questions.
He said abacus training enhances concentration, memory, visualisation, analytical thinking and processing speed, skills that remain essential despite advances in AI.
He observed that children today face increasing digital distractions and shrinking attention spans, adding that abacus training serves as a cognitive exercise that improves focus, confidence, numerical ability and overall academic performance.
“AI may replace manual calculations, but it cannot replace a well-trained mind,” he said.
A key attraction of the event was the ‘Concentration Round’, during which participants solved mental arithmetic problems while loud music played in the background.
Children continued performing calculations even as they sang, danced and moved around, with the exercise designed to test their ability to remain focused despite distractions.
The Regional Prodigy Championship is SIP Abacus’ flagship annual competition, providing a platform for children to demonstrate the cognitive and mental mathematics skills acquired through abacus training.
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