Sample of Merit and Excellence in International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) History
I am using mathematics and education alone as examples since they are more objective and less opinion-based in marking, especially when population ratio is also included for context. The IMO depends mainly on paper, pen, logic, and reasoning, making it one of the cleanest and cheapest academic competitions. Apart from theology — which is more subjective since only God can fully judge — mathematics is among the purest fields for measuring merit.
From this perspective, one could say that God gives different gifts and abilities to people, and achievement may reflect how those talents are developed and used.
In many other industries, nepotism and favoritism can take place, where people may ignore better candidates in jobs or salary considerations and instead choose those of their own race, religion, or similar background. This is common worldwide. As Christians, however, we ought to be different by striving to judge people fairly based on merit, character, and integrity rather than favoritism.
1) China — Population: ~1.41 billion. Highest IMO achievement: 1st place, achieved multiple times. China is the most dominant country in IMO history with 25 overall titles.
2) India — Population: ~1.46 billion. Highest IMO achievement: 4th place in 2024, India’s best-ever result.
3) Israel — Population: ~10 million. Highest IMO achievement: 6th place in 2025, Israel’s best-ever finish despite a much smaller population.
Example: I don’t think many — or even any — enemies of Israel have ever achieved a higher result than Israel here (at IMO), despite having much larger populations or other advantages, including possible nepotism factors. The more merit-based individuals within those populations (while others may still act through favoritism unless there are other reasons) usually succeed within their own contexts as well.
For those who do not know, even having a PhD in mathematics is no guarantee of being able to solve Math Olympiad problems, especially at the national level and beyond, which shows why it is called the “Math Olympics.”
For Indians, remember that most — if not all — of those Indian IMO participants are not even from “your subrace,” which should silence any “internal racism.” Can you see it?
Old Testament Bible verses also echo this idea here (notice that the higher officials are often corrupt while the righteous generally suffer in such situations):
“Then I returned and considered all the oppression that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, But they have no comforter— On the side of their oppressors there is power, But they have no comforter. … If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.” (Ecclesiastes 4:1, 5:8, NKJV)
Yes, being successful on earth without merit is not necessarily God’s approval, as He does not always intervene in every case, leaving final judgment — including Hell — for the afterlife (as Christ taught in Gospel of Luke 16).
Just like Israel, be a “spiritual Israel,” where even if you are discriminated against — whether by your own race, religion, or even by feminists — the rewards for endurance in Christ are eternal. Verse:
“10Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12, NKJV)
When I say that we suffer as “spiritual Israel,” doing good earlier and then suffering for righteousness in order to maximize heavenly rewards (Matthew 5:10–12), I am not referring to or endorsing the killing of Palestinians. As I have clearly explained in my other writings, I do not support such actions. I follow the “good” aspects associated with Israel and reject the bad.
Thank you for reading.
By Jonathan Ramachandran on 7 May 2026.
Source:
TQ.
