A 10-year-old from Johor Bahru emerged as the champion of the English competition, Hippo English Without Borders in Doha, Qatar on 10th August 2026 as exclusively reported by Harian Metro.
Wan Harriz Wan Abdul Qayyum of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tasek Utara won first place out of 14 participants from three countries namely Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Kyrgyzstan.
Wan Harriz’s success qualified him for the World Final in Spoleto, Italy, which will take place from 28th September to 1st October 2026.
His mother, Nur Saliha Ali Shastry, 34, described it as a proud moment after her son faced numerous challenges while in Doha, including recovering from an influenza infection before leaving.
The housewife said the experience was even more meaningful because it was the eldest of the three siblings’ first flight and international trip to compete in the competition.
“I was really excited when I first arrived in Qatar on 2nd of August 2026. As a mother, I was also excited and nervous to see him go through this new experience.
“From the moment I set foot on Qatari soil, everything was made easy. Malaysians in Qatar are very kind and caring, and as soon as we arrived at the airport, some welcomed us, brought us food and sent us straight to our accommodation.”
“Even though it’s far from Malaysia, we feel like we have our own family here,” she told Harian Metro.
Initially, Nur Saliha and her husband, Wan Abdul Qayyum Wan Mahadi, 34, who works as a bus driver, almost cancelled their intention to send the eldest of three siblings to Qatar due to financial constraints.
However, the school and the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) took a creative initiative by raising funds to support Wan Harriz’s costs and expenses to the Middle Eastern country.
Nur Saliha went on to say that prior to the competition, Wan Harriz attended the Hippo Summer Camp, which offered preparatory classes as well as various activities with participants from other countries.
“After several days of preparation, the Play-Off Qualifier Round took place on 8th of August 2026, which used a written test format involving open-ended questions and crosswords.
“This year’s Play-Off Qualifier Round is divided into three locations, namely Qatar, the United Kingdom (UK) and Romania.
“In comparison, the Little Hippo category in the UK involved 23 participants from six countries, while the Play-Off in Romania was on 11th of August,” she said.
Her family would now discuss with the school to manage the documentation and further planning ahead of the World Final which is scheduled to take place from 28th September to 1st October 2026.
“The time available is quite short to prepare. Our main challenge now is the cost.”
“We will try to get support from the government, related agencies and corporate companies through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that support education and talent development of Malaysian children.”
“If it is made easier, we will try our best to seize the opportunity for Harriz to go to the World Final in Spoleto and once again bring Malaysia’s name to the international stage,” she said.
