TEHRAN The young Iranians participating in six world olympiads competitions have so far bagged some 209 medals, said head of the Youth Scholastic Club (YSC).

Hossein Mirzaei added, "This is while in some cases, the Iranians had unfortunately delay in arrival at international olympiad competitions."

Mirzaei made the remark in a meeting attended by the Minister of Education Hossein Mozafar, the officials of the YSC and the elected Iranian participants in various olympiads.

He said the medals include 56 gold, 90 silver and 63 bronze medals bagged during five scientific olympiads and one literature olympiad.

He said, "Considering the fact that the Iranian students have attended international biology olympiads just three times since 1987, the medals bagged by them denote how serious they are in this respect."

Mirzaei said that a mathematics olympiad was the first attended by Iranian students, and a total of 90 applicants have so far attended 15 mathematics olympiads, having scored remarkable results.

He added that physics olympiad comes next, and that Iranian students who started attending them from 1989 have so far been present in 13 events.

Meanwhile, Iranian competitors have so far attended computer, chemistry, and biology olympiads ten, nine, and three times respectively.

He added that once the students pass the four stages of the offered test, they go through a training course arranged by educational experts and sponsored by the YSC.