Winner of the 2023 National Soroban Competition was Vahe Hahake 1 taking First Place and Best Overall Result for the year. A total of 240 students from across Tonga participated in the competition for primary schools from different districts, held on 16 November, hosted by Apifo’ou College at the Sir Sofele Kakala and Bishop Patelesio Finau Hall.

This also marked one of the last events to be held by the Ambassador of Japan in Tonga, HE Mr Kensaku Munenaga, during his term.

This year's competition includes four challenging categories, a written problem, oral problem, flash problem, and a relay team event. In the written problem category, competitors showcased their skills by calculating 100 problems within a tight timeframe of 8 minutes.

The competition concluded with the awarding of prizes to the top three students in each category for classes 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Overall, Vahe Hahake 1 took First Place and Best Overall Result for the year.

first runner-up was awarded to Vahe Kolo second runner-up to Vahe Hihifo and third runner-up was awarded to Ha'apai District,.

Since 2010, the Soroban Competition has been a collaborative effort between the Embassy of Japan in Nuku'alofa and Tonga's Ministry of Education, receiving support from JICA Tonga, the Japan International Soroban Diffusion Foundation, and Tonga's Soroban Education Association.

HE Mr Kensaku Munenaga said, "Today’s Soroban Competition is the last one in my term and I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to the students, teachers and parents for your steadfast acceptance of Soroban studies."

The Embassy of Japan stated that the National Soroban Competition not only highlighted the dedication and talent of Tonga's young mathematicians but also underscored the collaborative efforts fostering mathematical excellence within the nation's education system.

Representatives from Vava'u and Ha'apai, alongside teams from the four districts of Tongatapu (Vahe Kolo, Vahe Hihifo, Vahe Hahake 1, Vahe Hahake 2), demonstrated exceptional mathematical skills, he said.

These teams, comprised of top students selected after the Districts Soroban Competition held earlier in the year (May-June), showcased their dedication and skill in the field of Soroban mathematics.

Unfortunately, due to transportation disruptions caused by a tropical cyclone warning, the teams representing 'Eua and the Niuas were unable to join this year's competition.