President Paul Kagame on Thursday, August 22, hosted a team of Rwandan secondary school students who won a gold medal in the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO), which concluded on Tuesday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It was Rwanda&039;s first-ever gold medal in the continental competition, which is organized by the African Mathematics Union.

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The gold medal was awarded to Denys Prince Tuyisenge, one of six students on the Rwandan team.

The team, trained by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Rwanda, also secured a silver medal, three bronze medals, and several PAMO Girls Bronze Medals.

"We are deeply honored that the President welcomed the students who won medals at PAMO,” said Education Minister Gaspard Twagirayezu, who accompanied the students to Village Urugwiro.

"The President, upon learning of their participation, wanted to personally thank them and acknowledge their role. This recognition will undoubtedly inspire more students to excel in their studies and realize that they too can achieve even greater heights,” he said.

The gold medal winner said he was "motivated to work even harder,” after his meeting President Kagame.

"Meeting the President was an incredible honor,” said Tuyisenge, who aspires to be a chemical engineer.

"It motivated me to work even harder. Knowing that my efforts are recognized at the highest level encourages me to strive for more and to keep pushing my limits.

"I want to pursue my dream of becoming a chemical engineer, and I am committed to making that dream a reality,” said the Senior Three student at Hope Haven Secondary School.

He said winning the gold medal was "a reminder to keep pushing forward.”

This year was Rwanda’s fourth participation in the PAMO competition. The country hosted the previous edition, in which Rwandan students won five silver and four bronze medals.

PAMO is an annual event that brings together secondary school students from across the continent.

This year’s edition, which took place at the University of Witwatersrand, attracted students from 27 countries.

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In the previous three editions of PAMO, Rwanda&039;s team earned five silver and eight bronze medals.

This year’s triumph was the result of a rigorous selection process, which began with an initial pool of approximately 40,000 students.

After several competitive rounds, a final team of 23 students was chosen to represent the country in both regional and international competitions.