Sarawak students win second place at World Robot Olympiad

CROATIA: Two students from Sarawak have secured second place in the RoboMission Junior category at the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) 2026 Open Championship Europe in Zagreb, Croatia, bringing international recognition to the state’s young robotics talents.

Matthew Cheong and Timothy Cheong, both students of Borneo International School, represented Malaysia as Team Malaysia Boleh at the championship held from Oct 13 to 16.

They finished as runners-up in a competition that brought together more than 220 teams from 45 countries, showcasing their skills in robotics, programming, engineering, creativity and problem-solving.

Their achievement also highlighted efforts to develop young talent in Sarawak through collaboration between educational institutions, specialised training centres and government agencies.

The duo received intensive training from TESSLAB, a robotics training centre based in Miri, covering robot design, programming and competition strategies in preparation for the international challenge.

Their participation was sponsored by the Sarawak Government through the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC).

The support reflects the state’s ongoing efforts to provide young people with opportunities to develop their potential, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

In an interview after the competition, Matthew and Timothy expressed their appreciation to the Sarawak Government for supporting their participation and helping them realise their ambition of competing on the world stage.

Their achievement is a source of pride for their families and school, while demonstrating the potential of Sarawak students to compete internationally when given access to appropriate training, guidance and resources.

The result is also expected to encourage more students in Sarawak to explore robotics, programming and digital technology, fields that are increasingly important to future economic development.

It further supports Sarawak’s ambition to nurture a highly skilled, innovative and competitive generation as the state advances its technology- and innovation-driven economy.