TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian team of Senior High School (SMA) students grabbed one gold and three silver medals at the 49th International Chemistry Olympiad which was held in Bangkok, Thailand from July 6 to 15, an official said.

"This is a spectacular achievement because the team won one gold and three silver medals," according to Suharlan, head of the directorate affairs of Senior High School students at the Culture and Education Ministry, here on Sunday (July 16).

The gold medal was grabbed by Dean Fanggohans (state Senior High School "SMAN" 8 Pekanbaru), while the three silver medals were respectively won by Fahmi Naufal Rizki, (SMA Kharisma Bangsa, Tangerang Selatan District), M Ridho Setiyawan (SMAN 1 Tahunan, Central Java) and Mario Lorenzo, (SMAK BPK Penabur Gading Serpong).

At the 48th IChO in Georgia last year, the Indonesian team only gained two silver and two bronze medals.

A total of 80 countries participated in the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO).

The International Chemistry Olympiad is an annual academic competition for high school students. The first IChO was held in Prague.

At the competition, every student is tested for the ability in the field of theory and skill in doing experiments (practice) in the laboratory.

Each participating country may send a maximum of four best chemistry students. The four selected students should have gone through four stages of selection process with a total of 10 weeks of training, coaching and selection time.

Suharlan further said that the training program is tailored to the material in the IChO syllabus as well as the theoretical and practical syllabus for the 49th IChO.

Most of the material has never been given at the senior high school level in Indonesia, he added.

ANTARA