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A teenager from Gilfach, near Bargoed, has finished third in an international maths competition.

Lathursen Sasikumar took part in the age 12 to 14 category at the Mental Maths Olympiad, run by the British Youth International College (BYITC).

The competition, which was held online, presented hundreds of pupils with a series of mental arithmetic problems to test their maths skills.

It was open to pupils from across the globe and split into four age categories, with the top three in each category awarded prizes.

Lathursen’s father, Jeyaruby Sasikumar, said: “It was a great time for him to achieve his goals. He made one mistake but the international Olympiad test is a very good for finding talented pupils.”

BYITC founder Dr Rashmi Mantri said: “Congratulations go to all the winners and runners-up of the Mental Maths Olympiad. We were pleased to have so many from overseas competing.

“The competition challenged our students, and others, to engage with their training in a fun and interactive way, and, by having it open to people from all over the world, let them see how far they have already come.”

Dr Mantri added: “Many children have been left behind in their maths learning because of the Covid pandemic and our competition is a modest contribution towards helping them catch-up by raising their interest in mental maths skills.”

The competition was held online at times that suited the participants. However, to ensure fairness, AI and a camera recording system were used.