BELMONT, CA — While many third graders spent July on summer vacation, one Belmont student returned home from Thailand as a world geography champion.
Kabir Das, a student at Central Elementary School, helped Team California capture the Elementary Division title in the 2026 International Geography Championships during the weeklong competition, which brought together 251 students from 15 countries and dozens of U.S. states.
Kabir also won a bronze medal in the individual International Geography Bee and finished fourth overall in the Elementary School Division based on his performance across the championship's four major events. He earned additional medals in several individual competitions during the tournament.
The International Geography Championships, held July 4-11 in Khao Lak, Thailand, are an Olympics-style academic competition for students ages 8 to 18. Participants compete in geography exams, quizzes and team events across four age divisions.
Team California dominated the competition, topping the overall medals table with 68.5 gold medals. Kabir teamed with Minglang Tu and Shamik Mukherjee to win the Elementary Division International Geography Bowl world championship.
The biennial event is organized by International Academic Competitions and is expected to return in 2028, with Stockholm the likely host city.
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