Jakarta. Indonesia’s student delegation brought home three bronze medals and two honorable mentions at the 55th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), held in Paris from July 18 to 24. The prestigious science competition drew participation from 405 students representing 92 countries, double the number from last year.

The bronze medalists were Daffa Virwandy (SMAN 17 High School in Palembang), Muhammad Rakha Naufal Maulana (SMAN 1 Serang), and Muhammad Dakita Arfa Alfaritsi (MAN 2 Islamic School in Malang). Honorable mentions went to Arkaan Javier (MAN 2 Malang) and Gusti Komang Abhika Atmaja (SMA Kesatuan Bangsa High School in Yogyakarta).

Head of the National Achievement Center (Puspresnas) at the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry, Maria Veronica Irene Herdjiono, congratulated the students for their dedication and performance on the international stage.

“Congratulations to all the participants. We hope your experience in training and competing at IPhO becomes a valuable foundation for the future. We also thank the mentors for their guidance,” Irene said on Friday.

Triyanta, a lecturer from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the coordinator of Indonesia’s IPhO training team, noted the intense level of competition this year. The number of particip"ants doubled from last year. Our students competed against 405 students from 92 countries and performed very well,” he said.

Bronze medalist Daffa Virwandy shared his experience tackling the two-part IPhO exam. “We had to complete an experimental section with different tasks over five hours, followed by a five-hour theory test with three complex problems,” said Daffa. “I’m incredibly proud to contribute to Indonesia’s name at this global event. This is the result of three years of hard work.”

Fellow bronze medalist Muhammad Rakha Naufal Maulana echoed the sentiment. “It’s an honor to win a medal at such a prestigious international event like IPhO,” said Rakha, who also encouraged other students to remain confident in the face of challenges. “Never let others' words discourage you—use them as fuel to prove yourself.”

The International Physics Olympiad is one of the world’s most prestigious competitions for high school students, designed to assess participants’ theoretical knowledge, analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and experimental ability at the highest level.