Nepal wins first-ever gold at Junior International Olympiad on Astronomy

Nepal has won a gold medal for the first time at the Junior International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics, held in Thailand. The medal was won by Shahwaz Alam, a grade 10 student at BKVM in Biratnagar.

At the fifth edition of the competition, held over eight days in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, and concluded on Sunday, Nepal secured one gold, one bronze and one honourable mention. Sahaj KC won the bronze medal, while Ivan Dubey received an honourable mention. Abhi Uday Dhungana and Akhilesh Pokharel were also part of the team.

According to the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO), this is the first time a Nepali student has won gold in the history of international science olympiads. According to the school, Nepal had taken part in this competition before but had not previously won a medal.

The competition had 157 participants in total, including 104 students from around 53 countries. The students had been selected through the National Astronomy Olympiad 2026, organized by NASO, and the subsequent closed training camp.