Meet the young intelligent Indians who made the country proud at Astronomy Olympiad

Mumbai: Indian students have been consistently performing well in the various science Olympiads. CNN-IBN met the champions of the Astronomy Olympiad.

Mounting a telescope is a child's play for the 18-year-olds who made India proud at the Astronomy Olympiad held in Rio De Janeiro in 2012. For 14 years in a row, India has always been in the top two at the Olympiad.

Aniket Sule, Reader, Homi Bhabha Center of Science education, said, "In athletic Olympics, India might be lagging behind because of physical fitness, it's possible, but we are very strong mentally and this is how we can show the world that we are a knowledge super power."

For 14 years in a row, India has always been in the top two at the Astronomy Olympiad.

Five boys were selected out of 20,000 applicants after three rounds of tests. They were put through a rigorous two-month course at the Homi Bhabha Centre of science education, giving even students from remote areas necessary exposure.

Astronomy Olympian Mohan Mandhena said, "Before coming here I hadn't even seen a telescope, but by the end of it I became a master at handling it."

The biggest high was representing the country. Astronomy OlympianSharad Mirani said, "When I went there to collect the medal, I had a huge national flag in my hand and it was exciting, it felt like so much responsibility."

The fun trip was also a learning experience in its own right. Astronomy Olympian Alankar Kotwal said, "My roommate was from Serbia so he kept on telling me about life in Serbia."

If your children want to make it to the next Olympics in Greece, the first tests start in November.

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