Bahau boy sets national and global records
Six-year-old scores twice for reciting capital cities
DURING the enforcement of the movement control order in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, kindergartener Roshan Hari Krishna took to identifying countries, capitals and cities as a fun family activity.
In just a month, he was able to remember all the countries and their capitals.
That newfound passion has propelled him to greater heights as he recently scooped two awards, not just locally, but also internationally.
For his ability to identify 195 capital cities in four minutes, the sixyear-old from Bahau, Negri Sembilan, was recognised in the Malaysia Book of Records on Jan 16.
He is the youngest to enter the record book for identifying the most number of capital cities by a child in five minutes.
His other feat was identifying 240 country capitals in five minutes and 13 seconds, which saw him gaining entry into the Kids World Records (KWR).
KWR is a Canada-based online portal that gives recognition to talented individuals aged four to 16.
Roshan received a certificate and a medal for his achievement on Jan 28, after having demonstrated his ability virtually in Nov last year.
Describing himself as being “very, very happy” with both milestones, Roshan shared that he educates himself through books, encyclopaedias, maps and quizzes.
“I have a huge world map with countries and their capitals at home. I will always refer to the map and my parents play quizzes with me almost every day.
“When they name the country, I will say its capital,” he told Staredu.
He added that he enjoys learning about countries from around the world because of the different seasons they have.
“I would like to visit Australia, to feel the winter season and to play with the snow, and to see the kangaroos and koalas. I would also like to visit America to see the Statue of Liberty,” he said.
His father Hari Krishna Subramaniam and his mother Shanta Devi Rathnam expressed their pride in his achievements.
“Roshan is very enthusiastic about learning and exploring new things. We were surprised that he recognised all the countries’ capitals within a month,” said Hari.
They shared that three years ago, Roshan was already showing potential and skills exceeding most children his age.
“He started speaking fluently at age three. He also managed to point out to us all of the 80 animals in a book correctly when we said the animals’ names.
“He even remembered the exact page where the picture of each animal was. That amazed both my wife and me. It all started from there,” said Hari.
Shanta said Roshan’s achievements have brought much joy to the family.
“Words can’t express our happiness. Interestingly, being a mischievous six-year-old, he achieved this without even realising how much joy and pride he has brought to his parents, family and friends.
“He is also setting a very good example to his younger sister. He is a blessing to us,” she said.