IPOH, July 30 — An eight-year-old boy fought fever and sickness to become the grand champion of the Aloha Mental Arithmetic International Competition 2018 recently.

Reeno Chin beat more than 1,200 participants from 20 countries to be crowned the champion.

His mother Wong Pui Si said her second son was a determined boy.

"Before we left for Moscow for the competition on July 22, he was down with high fever and vomiting. I had wanted to cancel the plan of him participating but he insisted,” said the mother of two boys.

Wong said Reeno managed to finish 70 questions under five minutes during the competition.

"He actually completed the task in three and half minutes,” added the housewife.

Wong said Reeno took up mental arithmetic when he was five years old.

"He loves mathematics,” she said of her Year Two SJK Seri Botani son, adding that to prepare for the competition, she would ask him to do more exercise.

Wong was speaking to reporters after paying a courtesy call on Education, Technology, Science, Environment and Information Committee chairman Abdul Aziz Bari at his office at the State Secretariat building.

Wong said it was through Abdul Aziz’s office the Perak state government sponsored RM5,000 for the trip to Russia.

During the call, Abdul Aziz handed over another RM500 from the state to spur Reeno further.

Abdul Aziz said the state was proud of Reeno’s achievement.

"We hope it will be an impetus for him to win more competitions in the future,” he said, adding that the state was ready to encourage the people on such matters.