SANDAKAN: Vision School Sandakan has once again brought pride to Malaysia after its students delivered outstanding performances at the HIPPO English Language Olympiad 2026 Continental Round (Asia-Pacific), held in Phuket, Thailand, from July 2 to 5.
The competition gathered top qualifiers from 20 countries, providing a platform for young English language learners to compete internationally.
Leading the school’s success was Year 6 student Jacob Chu Jia Bao, who emerged as champion in the HIPPO 1 category, outperforming 105 contestants from across the region. His victory earned him the honour of representing Malaysia at the HIPPO World Finals in Italy later this year.
Vision School also recorded impressive results from its other representatives.
Year 6 student Aiden Han Zhi Xuan and Year 5 student Alexa Wong Qiao En finished 33rd and 34th, respectively, just five points behind the champion. In the Little Hippo category, Year 4 student Ho Jun Vui placed 12th out of 76 contestants, finishing only four points behind the category champion, while secondary student Janelle Lim ranked 36th among 53 contestants in the HIPPO 4 category.
All five students qualified through the National Finals before earning the opportunity to represent Malaysia at the Continental Round, where they competed against some of the region’s best young English language talents.
Vision Primary School head teacher Thien Lee Yee praised the students for their achievements, describing them as a reflection of their English proficiency, perseverance and confidence to challenge themselves on the international stage. She said the school was immensely proud of its students for representing both Malaysia and Vision School with excellence, humility and determination.
“Their success is a testament to the dedication of our students, the commitment of our teachers, and the unwavering support of our parents. More importantly, it demonstrates that with the right guidance and opportunities, young learners can confidently compete with the very best beyond our borders,” she said.
Vision Primary School Sandakan remains committed to providing meaningful learning opportunities that empower students to excel academically, communicate confidently and develop into lifelong learners with a global outlook. – James Leong
From left to right are Janelle Lim, Alexa Wong, Ho Jun Vui, Aiden Han and Jacob Chu.
