The much-anticipated preliminary stage of the Great Olympiad Mathematics Competitions (GOMC) senior category was held on the Friday at the Success Professional Tutors Kairaba Avenue.

The preliminary stage was contested by 28 Secondary Schools mostly from Banjul and Kanifing and it contained topics from Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, Elementary Polynomial Functions and Measuration.

After the competition, Ebrima LK Njie and Hassan Sillah from Gambia Methodist Academy and Gambia Senior Secondary School respectively said though they are friends they would battle it out in the finals for the glory of their schools.

Abdul Kolapo, executive director of Youth Care Foundation (YCF), explained that five schools made it to the final stage of the competition. They are: Ndow's Comprehensive Upper Basic School, SOS Hermann Gmeiner Upper Basic School, SBEC International School, Apple Tree International School and St. Peter's Upper Basic School.

He said another set of schools in the preliminary stage of the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) 2013 are: Nusrat Senior Secondary School, St. Joseph's Senior Secondary School, St. Augustine's Senior Secondary School, SBEC International School, Glory Baptist Senior Secondary School and Gambia Methodist Academy.

Kolapo revealed that the four winners would represent The Gambia in the prestigious African mathematics competition to be held in Abuja, Nigeria later in the year. He said the winners would meet with other youth mathematicians from South Africa, Ivory-Coast, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana among others.

Lansana Gassama, the project officer of the Youth Care Foundation and the organiser of the competition, said the organisation wishes to spread the competition to the entire country. He said it is a way to stimulate interest in Mathematics among young people and the society at large.

"Competitions are relevant for competitive performance of schools. It places importance for better management of resources in schools. Mathematics is a subject that needs the attention of the parents and the entire corporate institutions. It should not be left to the teachers, schools and the government," he added. He also revealed that the final stage of the competition is slated on the 25th January 2013 at the organisation's office.

The competition ended with Gambia Methodist Academy, Gambia Senior Secondary School, Glory Baptist Senior Secondary School and Nusrat Senior Secondary School making it to the final stage.