Amman, Oct. 2 (Petra)-- Barakat Al-Zyoud - The Jordanian flag was raised amid cheers of celebration at the Nuovo Gian Carlo Menotti Theatre in the Italian city of Spoleto after Jordanian student Mohammad Saleh Habbab won first place in the most challenging category, S5, while student Maya Khristo Al-Abawi secured second place in the S1 category at the 14th International English Language Olympiad for non-native English speakers.
The two Jordanian students outperformed participants from around the world in a competition that attracted more than 105,000 students and featured a journey of competitions spanning nearly 10 months.
Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), Habbab said his passion for reading books in general, and English-language books in particular across various fields, had played a major role in his success.
He said he had been an avid reader since the age of five, noting that reading helped him achieve fluency in English. He added that he had followed and participated in the competition over the past several years until he achieved his dream of winning first place.
Habbab said he had previously participated in the competition twice, securing third place and a bronze medal in one of his previous appearances. He continued to follow the competition and read extensively until he achieved his goal of winning the gold medal and taking the stage in front of thousands of participants.
He said reading had boosted his self-confidence, expanded his vocabulary and broadened his knowledge, adding that books had become a valuable resource in his life and a major part of his daily routine, with a book rarely leaving his hand except when he was asleep.
For her part, Al-Abawi said her participation in the International Hippo English Language Olympiad came at the culmination of an early passion for language and reading.
She said she had successfully passed all stages of the competition, beginning with the preliminary stage at school and at the national level, followed by the continental stage and finally the world finals, which brought together top qualifiers from participating countries.
Al-Abawi said she achieved strong results at all stages, earning high scores that qualified her to advance from one stage to another until reaching the final round in Italy.
Reaching the finals was itself the result of a journey of hard work, perseverance and excellence, she said, adding that her participation culminated in securing second place worldwide and winning the silver medal.
She said she represented Jordan in the S1 category and raised the Jordanian flag high at the international event, which brought together participants from more than 70 countries and more than 108,000 students.
Habbab's father said his son's achievement followed a competitive journey that began in Jordan, where he qualified for the continental round in Baku, Azerbaijan, and won first place, securing a place in the world finals held from September 28-30, 2026.
The finals brought together around 240 students from more than 60 countries, he said.
He added that this year's edition attracted more than 108,000 students from around the world, making Mohammad, according to the 2026 results, the first Jordanian student to win first place worldwide in the competition.
He noted that the achievement represented a significant milestone in his son's journey, as this was his third participation after winning third place worldwide and a bronze medal in 2024, before returning this year to claim first place in his category.
Habbab's mother said her son's achievement was a source of pride for Jordan and demonstrated the ability of Jordanian students to compete and excel at international events.
She said the achievement should encourage Jordanian youth to participate in international competitions and achieve further accomplishments that raise the country's profile.
She stressed the importance of providing children with continuous care, nurturing their talents and helping them develop their abilities, noting that this was what the family had done throughout the years.
She also thanked Royal Jordanian for providing support for Mohammad's travel to the finals, saying that such support had left a significant impact on the family and on Mohammad, who was able to demonstrate his abilities in reading, listening, speaking and writing in English.
Meanwhile, Maya's mother said that from an early age, Maya, now a seventh-grade student at Rosary Sisters School in Marj Al-Hamam, had developed a particular passion for reading and listening to stories.
She said Maya had regularly visited book fairs since childhood and always insisted on choosing books herself. At an early age, she was able to read a large number of books with substantial content and volume, reflecting her strong passion for reading and knowledge.
The family made every effort to encourage and support her passion and followed her development year after year, her mother said. They noticed her rapid reading and continuous progress in language skills and continued to select meaningful and educational cartoons that helped her develop her linguistic abilities, particularly in English, in an enjoyable way appropriate for her age.
She stressed that the family was not alone in supporting Maya's journey, as her school also played an important role in strengthening her love of reading.
The school encourages students to read throughout the year, making books an essential part of Maya's daily life. She regularly borrowed books from the school library, often taking more than one book at a time, to continue her journey of reading and learning with great enthusiasm.
Her mother noted that even on holidays and special occasions, books were among Maya's favorite gifts. She said Maya was happiest when she found a new book among her presents to add to her small library and begin a new journey with it.
This early passion for reading and language, coupled with perseverance, hard work and continuous support from her family and school, helped shape Maya's academic and linguistic abilities and paved the way for her to achieve an international accomplishment that brought pride to Jordan, she said.
She also expressed pride in the role played by Jordan's education system in encouraging students to learn and excel, supporting their talents and abilities, and promoting reading and knowledge as foundations for building students' personalities and broadening their horizons.
Such achievements, she said, highlight the importance of integrating the efforts of families, schools and the educational environment in identifying young people's talents, encouraging them to develop their skills, and providing opportunities to take part in academic, cultural and competitive experiences that open new horizons and build their confidence in their ability to compete and excel at the Arab and international levels.
Osman Al-Khawaja, Director-General of Latent Sensory Response Company and the accredited representative of the International Hippo English Language Olympiad in Jordan, said the competition was an international event headquartered in Italy and held annually.
He said the competition had been established 14 years ago and attracts thousands of students every year. In 2026, more than 105,000 students participated.
Jordan has demonstrated a strong presence and active participation in the competition, with Jordanian students achieving distinguished results and advanced positions every year, he said, adding that this year they secured the top places.
Al-Khawaja said the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development contributes actively to encouraging students and children to participate in the competition by officially adopting it and circulating information about it to schools nationwide, in addition to providing opportunities for members of the local community to participate.
//Petra// MF
