Harish, the most-talented in mental arithmetic

CHENNAI: At first sight, Harish Raj looks like any other Class 4 student. But the little boy packs a lot of talent into his small frame, and has been awarded a World Amazing Record certification by the World Amazing Records in Ahmedabad, for being the most talented in the mental arithmetic category.A master of mental arithmetic, Harish started his abacus training three years ago. Till date, he has won the state championship thrice, and has been named the champion of champions twice at the national level. He now has the opportunity to fly to Malaysia in December, to participate in the international championships.Son of a taxi driver and a stay-at-home mother, Harish lives at Sembakkam’s Thirumalai Nagar, close to his school, Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School. Kiruthika Natarajan, Harish’s mother, says, “We had applied for this record a year ago. It states that he is the most talented in mental arithmetic. They scouted around the country for another child like him, but Harish is one of a kind.” She also said that it would be helpful if Harish could find some sponsors who can enable him to attend more events.N Vijayan, Harish's school principal, says, “When we observed Harish in class, we could see that he had a lot of potential. For this reason, I encouraged him to join the abacus training. His reasoning and analytical skills are beyond what I have seen in any other child his age.” The school has promised Harish free education up to Class 12. The Bharathi Yuva Kendra Trust awarded Harish the ‘Yuvashree Kala Bharathi’ three years ago. Harish wears his success lightly for someone so young. “I am very happy with everything that has happened to me. With each award I win, my confidence goes up. I am at my happiest when I get prizes from the chief guests of the competitions I attend,” he says.Harish also holds a purple 2 belt in karate — having been placed first in state three times and once internationally — and is training in yoga, silambam (a weapon-based Dravidian martial art) and football.Apart from this, Harish maintains a 98 per cent average in school and has completed a foundation IT course in Apollo Computers and is currently doing an animation course.