Manuel Cabrera Betancort from Lanzarote, a 5th-grade primary school student at Colegio Arenas Internacional, has been selected to represent Spain at the UCMAS International Competition 2025, which will be held on December 6th and 7th in Tbilisi, Georgia. Manuel will be one of only two Spanish students—both from the Canary Islands—to participate in this edition of the prestigious international event.
Colegio Arenas Internacional, a pioneer in Lanzarote in the teaching of Mental Calculation with Abacus, has integrated this discipline into its curriculum since 2011 in collaboration with UCMAS Canarias. Over the last four years, Manuel has followed this training program, notably developing the skills inherent to the methodology. At just 10 years old, he will travel to Georgia for an educational and personal experience of extraordinary value.
In the competition, Manuel will participate in category B, which includes tests of high technical demand, such as solving 200 one and two-digit operations in 8 minutes and a flash calculation demonstration with 100 one-digit numbers. To face this challenge, the young student has been preparing intensely, perfecting the use of the soroban abacus, an ancestral tool that enhances fundamental cognitive skills, including concentration, visual and auditory memory, mental agility, and interhemispheric coordination. This constant training translates into greater autonomy, confidence, and academic performance.
The UCMAS International Competition brings together students from dozens of countries each year. For the 2025 edition, the participation of around 2,000 students from nearly 80 nations is expected, consolidating it as one of the most relevant international events for abacus mental calculation.
Manuel's participation represents a training opportunity of special relevance, directly linked to the development of cognitive skills that Colegio Arenas Internacional fosters through the systematic practice of mental calculation.
UCMAS Trajectory
Born in Malaysia, UCMAS is present today in more than 80 countries and has 2.5 million active students worldwide. In Spain, it has been training children and young people for over 15 years to develop their maximum potential, having already surpassed one million students. Its implementation in educational centers, both as part of the curriculum and as extracurricular activities, allows students to acquire essential skills for academic and daily life.
Previous editions
Spain has participated in this international competition since 2001 and has so far presented 9 champions in various categories. Preparation for the championship fosters discipline, effort, and a love for learning in young people, bringing them closer to science in an attractive and motivating context, which is especially relevant in an increasingly technological world.
Javier, a student from Gran Canaria, will also travel with Manuel, completing the Spanish representation. Both will have the opportunity to demonstrate their talent and the fruits of their labor, as well as live a unique experience: a global celebration of knowledge, educational cooperation, and recognition of effort and excellence.
