Dila sets maths world record
AN 11-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl has become the pride of North Cyprus by winning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for mental arithmetic.
Dila Bilen took the record by performing 250 calculations passed to her every 0.3 seconds during the Memorial Mental Arithmetic Championship staged recently in Ankara.
Her TRNC Mega Arithmetik Team also came first overall in the contest for children aged between five and 12.
Dila’s performance, which was confirmed by contest judges as a new world record, is the most spectacular in a string of winning results. Sponsored by mobile phone operator Telsim for the past two years, she previously came ninth out of 27 in the Memorial Kids’ Cup and fourth overall in the 2016 National Memoriad of Turkey Cup.
Three other members of the TRNC Mega Arithmetik Team also did well in Ankara. Milada Çınaroğlu came fifth in the age-six category to win her first-ever medal and plaque, while Alisa Türel, a first-time competitor, came third in the same category to take away a trophy and Sarp Türel, who entered the competition for the second time, was second in the age-nine category.
The successful team was welcomed back to the TRNC by Lefkoşa Mayor Mehmet Harmancı, who said the success of the children made the whole community proud, adding: “We have to support these super children.”
Team instructor Belgün Belevi, however, spoke of “a lack of official support and interest”, apart from by President Mustafa Akıncı and Mr Harmancı, and commented: “These children really need more backing.”