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