A Grade Eight learner from Hoërskool Oosterlig, he was one of 25 learners to represent South Africa in Seoul.
The South Africans competed against learners from South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Canada, the US and India.
Read: Tihan excels in CMaths
“There were 435 students altogether who competed, and you can just imagine how nerve-racking and competitive it must have been,” says Tihani van Rooyen, Tihan’s mother.
She says they are very proud of Tihan’s performance and his trophy.
This was the second time Tihan had competed in an international mental maths championship.
Last year he went to San Francisco.
His aim is to qualify for the next international competition, which will be hosted in South Africa later this year.
Tihan also visited Japan in 2015 and 2016, where he attended a maths training camp.
To celebrate his trophy, the family went to the ice rink at Lotte World in Seoul, where Tihan fell and unknowingly broke his arm.
Read: Tihan performs well in CMaths
His mother says it was only when they arrived back in South Africa that he complained about his arm.
“We took him to the doctor who, after X-rays were taken, informed us that his arm was broken,” she says.
Tihan finds these international competitions fruitful and says he learns a lot.
