Over 1,200 children take part in SIP Regional Prodigy 2026 competition

Over 1,200 children aged between 5 and 14 years showcased their mental arithmetic skills at the SIP Regional Prodigy 2026 — one of India’s largest mental arithmetic competitions for children — at CK Conventions in Mangalagiri on Sunday.The competition was inaugurated by AIIMS Mangalagiri Director Col. Shashikanth Thumma in the presence of SIP Academy India director Sibi Sekhar, New Franchisee Acquisition head Uma Swaminathan; Regional Business head – South and International Acquisition head Praveen E.G., and Andhra Pradesh head Jabeer Baig.Addressing the gathering, Col. Shashikanth Thumma described the participants as ‘live supercomputers’. “You are human calculators, solving problems faster than calculators. This programme develops skills to solve not only mathematics problems but also life’s challenges,” he said.Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sibi Sekhar said that mental arithmetic was more relevant in the artificial intelligence (AI) era than ever before.“While AI can provide answers, children still need strong cognitive abilities, logical thinking, concentration, memory and problem-solving skills. Mental arithmetic develops these foundational capabilities, enabling children to think independently and confidently.”Meanwhile, Ms. Uma Swaminathan said, “We currently operate 25 centres in Andhra Pradesh and plan to double this number to 50 in the coming years,” she said.SIP Regional Prodigy is the regional championship of the annual SIP Prodigy competition and serves as a qualifying event for the national finals. The winners of Andhra Pradesh regional competition will qualify for the National SIP Prodigy 2026 to be held in Kochi in November, where nearly 5,000 children from across the country will compete. Published - August 02, 2026 11:26 pm IST