Nepal's four-member delegation returned from Astana, Kazakhstan, with the country's first bronze medal and two honorable mentions.
Kathmandu, Nepal, has succeeded in winning a medal for the first time in the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad. Nepali student Siddhant Chaturvedi won a bronze medal in the second International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Students from various countries around the world participated in the competition held from August 7 to 8, 2026. Four Nepali students participated in the competition. Among them, Siddhant Chaturvedi won a bronze medal, while Menali, Pitambar Lamichhane, and Ayush Yadav received special appreciation.
All four are students of St. Xavier's College located in Maitighar, Kathmandu.
This achievement is considered special for Nepal. Previously, Nepal had participated in the first edition held in Bulgaria in 2024 and the second edition held in Beijing, China, in 2025 but could not win any medals.
This time, 649 competitors from 95 countries participated in the competition. The competition was held in two phases on August 7 and 8 in the preliminary round. Participants solved machine learning problems prepared by the international scientific committee using computer systems such as Python and Jupyter Notebook. Medals were determined based on the combined score over two days.
The Nepali team was selected through the National Artificial Intelligence Olympiad Nepal by Himalayan Computational, Linguistic, and AI Olympiad in Nepal.
Previously, a national-level competition was organized in Nepal to select students. In the 2026 national round, Pitambar Lamichhane was first and Menali was second. Students selected through the same process represented Nepal in the international competition.
'Better results can be achieved with proper preparation.'
Chandan Gupta, co-founder and co-chairman of the Himalayan Computational, Linguistic, and AI Olympiad in Nepal, says that winning a medal for the first time in an international competition is a great achievement for Nepal.
According to him, Nepal could not achieve the expected success in the previous two editions due to insufficient preparation. This time, special attention was given to student identification, training, and preparation.
'We didn't win anything in the first two editions. The honest reason for this is that we participated without adequate preparation. This year we were somewhat prepared, and the difference was immediately visible,' Gupta said.
He expressed confidence that Nepal can achieve even better results if more systematic preparation and a nationwide campaign are conducted in the coming years.
Interest in Artificial Intelligence Growing Among Students
According to the Himalayan Computational, Linguistic, and AI Olympiad in Nepal, this achievement shows the interest and potential of students in the field of artificial intelligence in Nepal.
According to co-founder and co-chairman Chandan Gupta, the Olympiad has provided students with opportunities to learn computer programming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning skills from a young age. He believes this will also help in producing manpower related to artificial intelligence in Nepal.
According to him, if students are identified in time and provided with proper education and training, they can develop the capacity to compete at the international level.
According to the organizers, the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad aims to develop basic and practical skills in computer programming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning among students. It is expected that such competitions can also help in achieving the government's goal of producing artificial intelligence-related manpower in Nepal.
Financial Support for Participating Teams
The International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad also provided partial financial assistance for Nepal's participation. Similarly, the organizing institution bore half of the team's registration fee and the travel expenses of three members.
Team leader Ayush Adhikari played an important role in the technical preparation of the Nepali team this time. He led the students in the necessary preparations for the competition.
Program coordinator Pragya Joshi handled the management of the national selection phase and participation, while Chandan Gupta also served as an examiner.
The students selected in the final round received special training on machine learning under the leadership of the team leader. The training included basic principles of machine learning, model building, and practical problem-solving.
Plans for More Preparation Next Year
Himalayan Computational, Linguistic, and AI Olympiad in Nepal has announced that it will make more extensive preparations for next year's International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad than this year.
According to the organization, there is a plan to expand programs and training from the school level to identify artificial intelligence talent in Nepal. It is expected that Nepal can perform even better next year if talents are identified in time and adequate training is provided.
Nepal winning a medal for the first time in the International Artificial Intelligence Olympiad has presented the potential of Nepali students in the field of artificial intelligence and technology on the international stage.